Native Phrase Lab
WillowbrookWord 90 of 100 · British place names
How to pronounce Birmingham
/ˈbɜːmɪŋəm/ British English
BUR·ming·əm
3 beats (syllables). The strong beat is the first one.
a Coloured letters don’t sound the way they look.
✗ Many people say
bir·ming·HAM
✓ Say
BUR·ming·əm
My tip
ham is just əm. Same in Nottingham!
In a sentence
I grew up in Birmingham.
Now you say it
- Listen to me two or three times.
- Say it slowly, one beat at a time: BUR-ming-əm.
- Say the sentence at normal speed.
Questions
How do you pronounce Birmingham?
In British English, Birmingham is pronounced /ˈbɜːmɪŋəm/. Say it like this: BUR-ming-əm. ham is just əm. Same in Nottingham!
How many syllables are in Birmingham?
When you say it, Birmingham has 3 syllables: BUR-ming-əm. The strong beat is the first one, BUR.
More words like this: british place names
Practise these sounds
- The schwa, /ə/The small, weak sound in this word. It’s one of the 4 sounds you can practise completely free in my Sound Atlas.
- The strong beat: /ɜː/ as in “bird”Meet this sound and hear it in my Sound Atlas. Free.
- The Sound MapAll 44 sounds of British English, in my voice. Free.
- Pitch PerfectHear me say it, record yourself, and see your sound under mine. A premium game.
- More gamesFive of my English games are free to play.