How To Pronounce Water

water

Phonemic

/ˈwɔː.tə/

Phonetic

[ˈwɔː.təʴ]

Phonemic

/ˈwɔː.t̯ɚ/

In British English, water is pronounced /ˈwɔː.tə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈwɔː.təʴ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈwɔː.t̯ɚ/.

Water 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

wɔːtə

Water 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.

water + -s

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

/ˈwɔː.təz/

/ˈwɔː.t̯ɚz/

water + -ed

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

/ˈwɔː.təd/

/ˈwɔː.t̯ɚd/

water + -ing

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

/ˈwɔː.tə.rɪŋ/

/ˈwɔː.t̯ɚ.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Water

Questions About Water

How do you pronounce water in British English?

In British English, water is pronounced /ˈwɔː.tə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈwɔː.təʴ].

How do you pronounce water in American English?

In American English, water is pronounced /ˈwɔː.t̯ɚ/.

How many syllables are in water?

Water has two syllables, /wɔː/ + /tə/.

Where is the stress in water?

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

Do British and American English pronounce water the same way?

No. British English has /ˈwɔː.tə/ and American English has /ˈwɔː.t̯ɚ/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

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