How To Pronounce “their”

their

function word

Strong form

Used when emphasised or contrasted.

Phonemic

/ðeə/

Phonetic

[ðeəʴ]

e.g. I said their, not our.

/aɪ.sedˈðeə.nɒt.aʊə/

Phonemic

/ðer/

e.g. I said their, not our.

/aɪ.sedˈðer.nɑːt.aʊr/

Weak form

Used in connected speech (UK English adds a linking /r/ before a vowel).

Phonemic

/ðə/

Phonetic

[ðəʴ]

e.g. They sold their house.

/ðeɪ.səʊld.ðəˈhaʊs/

Phonemic

/ðɚ/

e.g. They sold their house.

/ðeɪ.soʊld.ðɚˈhaʊs/

“their” is a function word, so it has more than one pronunciation. In normal connected speech the weak form is usual. The strong form is used when the word is stressed, said on its own or at the end of a phrase.

Strong form. In British English it is /ðeə/, and in American English it is /ðer/. It is used when emphasised or contrasted.

Weak form. In British English it is /ðə/, and in American English it is /ðɚ/. It is used in connected speech (UK English adds a linking /r/ before a vowel).

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.

Questions About Their

How do you pronounce their in British English?

Strong form, /ðeə/. Weak form, /ðə/.

How do you pronounce their in American English?

Strong form, /ðer/. Weak form, /ðɚ/.

What is the weak form of their?

The weak form of their is /ðə/ in British English. It is the usual form in connected speech.

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