Word 543 of 545 · Hard sounds: th, r and more
How to pronounce northern
/ˈnɔːðən/ British English
NAW·thən
2 beats (syllables). The strong beat is the first one.
✗ Many people say
nor·THERN
✓ Say
NAW·thən
My tip
Stress the start. Use a soft, buzzing th, and no r: NAW-thən.
In a sentence
It’s cold in northern Scotland.
Now you say it
- Listen to me two or three times.
- Say it slowly, one beat at a time: NAW-thən.
- Say the sentence at normal speed.
Questions
How do you pronounce northern?
In British English, northern is pronounced /ˈnɔːðən/. Say it like this: NAW-thən. Stress the start. Use a soft, buzzing th, and no r: NAW-thən.
How many syllables are in northern?
When you say it, northern has 2 syllables: NAW-thən. The strong beat is the first one, NAW.
More words like this: hard sounds: th, r and more
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: /ɔː/ as in “door”Meet this sound and hear it in my Sound Atlas. Free.
- The Sound MapAll 44 sounds of British English, in my voice. Free.
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