How To Pronounce Surface

surface

UK
Phonemic
/ˈsɜː.fɪs/
Phonetic
[ˈsɜːʴ.fɪs]
US
Phonemic
/ˈsɝː.fɪs/

In British English, surface is pronounced /ˈsɜː.fɪs/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsɜːʴ.fɪs]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈsɝː.fɪs/.

Surface 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

sɜːfɪs

Surface 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.

surface + -s
-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /ɪz/ after /s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ/.
UK
/ˈsɜː.fɪ.sɪz/
US
/ˈsɝː.fɪ.sɪz/
surface + -ed
-ed (past tense or past participle) is /t/ after a voiceless consonant.
UK
/ˈsɜː.fɪst/
US
/ˈsɝː.fɪst/
surface + -ing
-ing is always /ɪŋ/.
UK
/ˈsɜː.fɪ.sɪŋ/
US
/ˈsɝː.fɪ.sɪŋ/

Questions About Surface

How do you pronounce surface in British English?

In British English, surface is pronounced /ˈsɜː.fɪs/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsɜːʴ.fɪs].

How do you pronounce surface in American English?

In American English, surface is pronounced /ˈsɝː.fɪs/.

How many syllables are in surface?

Surface has two syllables, /sɜː/ + /fɪs/.

Where is the stress in surface?

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

Do British and American English pronounce surface the same way?

No. British English has /ˈsɜː.fɪs/ and American English has /ˈsɝː.fɪs/.

Search All 10,380 Words In The App

Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

Learn English and Literature with Adroit Tutors on our website, and order course materials there too.

www.adroittutors.com