How To Pronounce Smother

smother

Phonemic

/ˈsmʌð.ə/

Phonetic

[ˈsmʌð.əʴ]

Phonemic

/ˈsmʌð.ɚ/

In British English, smother is pronounced /ˈsmʌð.ə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsmʌð.əʴ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈsmʌð.ɚ/.

Smother 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

smʌðə

Smother 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.

smother + -s

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

/ˈsmʌð.əz/

/ˈsmʌð.ɚz/

smother + -ed

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

/ˈsmʌð.əd/

/ˈsmʌð.ɚd/

smother + -ing

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

/ˈsmʌð.ər.ɪŋ/

/ˈsmʌð.ɚ.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Smother

Questions About Smother

How do you pronounce smother in British English?

In British English, smother is pronounced /ˈsmʌð.ə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsmʌð.əʴ].

How do you pronounce smother in American English?

In American English, smother is pronounced /ˈsmʌð.ɚ/.

How many syllables are in smother?

Smother has two syllables, /smʌð/ + /ə/.

Where is the stress in smother?

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

Do British and American English pronounce smother the same way?

No. British English has /ˈsmʌð.ə/ and American English has /ˈsmʌð.ɚ/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

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