How To Pronounce Soften

soften

Phonemic

/ˈsɒf.ən/

Phonetic

[ˈsʷɒf.ə̃n]

Phonemic

/ˈsɔːf.ən/

In British English, soften is pronounced /ˈsɒf.ən/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsʷɒf.ə̃n]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈsɔːf.ən/.

Soften 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

sɒfən

Soften 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.

soften + -s

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

/ˈsɒf.ənz/

/ˈsɔːf.ənz/

soften + -ed

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

/ˈsɒf.ənd/

/ˈsɔːf.ənd/

soften + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/ˈsɒf.ən.ɪŋ/

/ˈsɔːf.ən.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Soften

often

Questions About Soften

How do you pronounce soften in British English?

In British English, soften is pronounced /ˈsɒf.ən/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsʷɒf.ə̃n].

How do you pronounce soften in American English?

In American English, soften is pronounced /ˈsɔːf.ən/.

How many syllables are in soften?

Soften has two syllables, /sɒf/ + /ən/.

Where is the stress in soften?

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

Do British and American English pronounce soften the same way?

No. British English has /ˈsɒf.ən/ and American English has /ˈsɔːf.ən/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

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