How to pronounce “air”
Say “air” in one beat
air
/ɛɹ/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /eə/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- airɛɹ
- IPA (American)
- /ɛɹ/
- IPA (British)
- /eə/
- Respelling
- ER
- Syllables
- 1 — air
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɛɹ/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ɛɹ/
/eə/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “air” means
- noun
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
“air pollution”
- noun
the region above the ground
“her hand stopped in mid air”
- noun
a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing
“an air of mystery”
Say it in a sentence
“She opened the window to let some fresh air inside.”“air”, answered
How do you pronounce “air”?
“air” is pronounced /ɛɹ/ (ER) in American English and /eə/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɛɹ/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “air” have?
One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /ɛɹ/ — a single beat.
Is “air” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ɛɹ/ (ER); British English says /eə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “air” mean?
As a noun: a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of For example: “air pollution” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “air”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɛɹ/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “air” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.