How To Pronounce Paper

paper

Phonemic

/ˈpeɪ.pə/

Phonetic

[ˈpʰeɪ.pəʴ]

Phonemic

/ˈpeɪ.pɚ/

In British English, paper is pronounced /ˈpeɪ.pə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈpʰeɪ.pəʴ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈpeɪ.pɚ/.

Paper has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

peɪpə

Paper has two syllables in British English, and the main stress is on the first syllable, shown in colour above. Its stress pattern is Oo, where O is the stressed syllable.

paper + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/ˈpeɪ.pəz/

/ˈpeɪ.pɚz/

paper + -ed

-ed (past tense or past participle) is /d/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/ˈpeɪ.pəd/

/ˈpeɪ.pɚd/

paper + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/. In UK English a linking /r/ is added because the spelling ends in -r.

/ˈpeɪ.pə.rɪŋ/

/ˈpeɪ.pɚ.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Paper

vapour

Questions About Paper

How do you pronounce paper in British English?

In British English, paper is pronounced /ˈpeɪ.pə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈpʰeɪ.pəʴ].

How do you pronounce paper in American English?

In American English, paper is pronounced /ˈpeɪ.pɚ/.

How many syllables are in paper?

Paper has two syllables, /peɪ/ + /pə/.

Where is the stress in paper?

The main stress is on the first syllable, /peɪ/.

Do British and American English pronounce paper the same way?

No. British English has /ˈpeɪ.pə/ and American English has /ˈpeɪ.pɚ/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

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