How To Pronounce Pilfer

pilfer

Phonemic

/ˈpɪl.fə/

Phonetic

[ˈpʰɪɫ.fəʴ]

Phonemic

/ˈpɪl.fɚ/

In British English, pilfer is pronounced /ˈpɪl.fə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈpʰɪɫ.fəʴ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈpɪl.fɚ/.

Pilfer 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

pɪlfə

Pilfer 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.

pilfer + -s

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

/ˈpɪl.fəz/

/ˈpɪl.fɚz/

pilfer + -ed

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

/ˈpɪl.fəd/

/ˈpɪl.fɚd/

pilfer + -ing

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

/ˈpɪl.fə.rɪŋ/

/ˈpɪl.fɚ.ɪŋ/

Questions About Pilfer

How do you pronounce pilfer in British English?

In British English, pilfer is pronounced /ˈpɪl.fə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈpʰɪɫ.fəʴ].

How do you pronounce pilfer in American English?

In American English, pilfer is pronounced /ˈpɪl.fɚ/.

How many syllables are in pilfer?

Pilfer has two syllables, /pɪl/ + /fə/.

Where is the stress in pilfer?

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

Do British and American English pronounce pilfer the same way?

No. British English has /ˈpɪl.fə/ and American English has /ˈpɪl.fɚ/.

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