How To Pronounce “your”

your

function word

Strong form

Used when emphasised or contrasted.

Phonemic

/jɔː/

Phonetic

[jʷɔːʴ]

e.g. I said your, not my.

/aɪ.sedˈjɔː.nɒt.maɪ/

Phonemic

/jɔːr/

e.g. I said your, not my.

/aɪ.sedˈjɔːr.nɑːt.maɪ/

Weak form

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

Phonemic

/jə/

Phonetic

[jəʴ]

e.g. Open your book.

/əʊ.pən.jəˈbʊk/

Phonemic

/jɚ/

e.g. Open your book.

/oʊ.pən.jɚˈbʊk/

“your” 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 /jɔː/, and in American English it is /jɔːr/. It is used when emphasised or contrasted.

Weak form. In British English it is /jə/, and in American English it is /jɚ/. 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 Your

How do you pronounce your in British English?

Strong form, /jɔː/. Weak form, /jə/.

How do you pronounce your in American English?

Strong form, /jɔːr/. Weak form, /jɚ/.

What is the weak form of your?

The weak form of your is /jə/ in British English. It is the usual form in connected speech.

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