‘Family’ can be three syllables, but most Americans will pronounce it as two syllables. Learn how to practice this word by breaking it down sound by sound, knowing what’s stressed and what’s not. Then put it all together to feel confident using this word in American English conversation.
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Video Text:
In this American English pronunciation video, we’re going to go over the pronunciation of the word ‘family’.
This week’s Word of the Week is ‘family’. ‘Family’ may be pronounced with three syllables, but more commonly you’ll hear it with two. Family, family. it begins with the F consonant sound, so the bottom lip will come up and touch the bottom of the top front teeth. Ff, ff, fa-. Then we have the AA as in BAT vowel. It’s followed by the M consonant, and whenever the AA vowel is followed by an M consonant, actually by any nasal consonant, it’s not quite a pure AA vowel. The back part of the tongue will relax, and we’ll get an uh-like sound. Fa-, fa-, fam-, family. The second syllable, unstressed, has the L consonant sound, ll, ll, tongue tip here, and the EE as in SHE vowel. So, the tongue tip will come down, the corners of the lips will pull wide a bit, -ly, -ly. Family, family. I have family in town.
That’s it, your Word of the Week. Try it out yourself. Make up a sentence with the word, record it, and post it as a video response to this video on YouTube. I can’t wait to watch it.
That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.
Video:
FAQs
'Family' may be pronounced with three syllables, but more commonly you'll hear it with two. Family, family. it begins with the F consonant sound, so the bottom lip will come up and touch the bottom of the top front teeth.
What is the pronunciation of Rachael? ›
Break 'rachel' down into sounds: [RAY] + [CHUHL] - say it out loud and exaggerate the sounds until you can consistently produce them.
What is the stressed syllable in the word family? ›
FAMILY: | fam·i·ly | \ ˈfam-lē , ˈfa-mə- \ There is an audio clip at m-w.com . Three. The middle syllable is less prominent though as it is unstressed and also often shorter in duration. I'm no expert - but I would say that the main stress is on the “fam” and a medium stress on the “ly”.
What's a 3 syllable word? ›
Three syllable words are words that consist of three syllables, such as potato, umbrella, and envelope. Before getting started, you'll want to download this FREE six syllable types poster you can use for reference with your students.
Which one is correct Rachel or Rachael? ›
Thus, Rachel, and other variations are fully acceptable as names. Rachael is generally seen as the standard spelling though. Generally, when naming a child, the spelling that the parents choose becomes the correct spelling of that name for that child.
Which is correct Rachel or Rachael? ›
It originates from the Hebrew language and is a popular choice across various cultures. However, the spelling "Rachael" often emerges as a common variant, leading to confusion. Remember, the standard and widely accepted spelling is Rachel, without the additional 'a'.
Is it pronounced Rachel or Rachael? ›
“Rachael” is pronounced as Rah-kell', and Rachel is pronounced as Ray'chel.
Is it spelled Michael or Micheal? ›
Although sometimes considered erroneous, an alternative spelling of the name is Micheal. While Michael is most often a masculine name, it is also given to women, such as the actresses Michael Michele and Michael Learned, and Michael Steele, the former bassist for the Bangles.
What is Rachel named after? ›
Rachel is a lovely feminine name meanding "ewe" or "female sheep." In the Hebrew Bible, Rachel was the beloved, beautiful wife of Jacob, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin—who became the heads of two of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Is Rachael an English name? ›
Rachael is a girl's name of Hebrew origin. It translates to an “ewe” or “innocent lamb”, and with its variety of spellings, you can be sure that your Rachael isn't one of a flock of many. This particular flair is thought to be inspired by the name Michael, giving it a feminine counterpart in Rachael.
Breaking down 'family' into syllables can make it easier to spell: Fam-i-ly. It's a three-syllable word where every letter plays its part.
Is love one syllable? ›
1 Syllable Verbs
Love: Intense affection for a person or thing is called love.
How many syllables are in watermelon? ›
The word watermelon has 4 syllables.
What is the correct syllables for family? ›
Breaking down 'family' into syllables can make it easier to spell: Fam-i-ly. It's a three-syllable word where every letter plays its part.
Which two words have 3 syllables? ›
Full List of Three-Syllable Words
- Careful.
- Adopted.
- Bottomless.
- Limited.
- Elastic.
- Insecure.
- Athletic.
- Circular.
Another is the clap method. To use it, say the word and clap your hands together each time you hear a vowel sound. For example, take the word "autumn": au-tumn. That's two vowel sounds, so it's two syllables even though autumn has three vowel letters: a, u and u.
Which letter has 3 syllables? ›
The humble W is the only letter of the alphabet with a three-syllable name. It is also one of three letters (H, W, and Y) with a name that does not indicate its phonetic use.
