How to pronounce “comfortable”
Say “comfortable” in 3 beats
comfortable
/ˈkʌmftɚbəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈkʌmftəbəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- kʌmfkʌmfstress
- tɚtɚ
- bəlbəl
- IPA (American)
- /ˈkʌmftɚbəl/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈkʌmftəbəl/
- Also accepted
- /ˈkʌmfɚtəbəl/
- Respelling
- KUMF-tur-buhl
- Syllables
- 3 — KɅMF-tɚ-bəl
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: KɅMF-tɚ-bəl. “kʌmf” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈkʌmftɚbəl/
/ˈkʌmftəbəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Also accepted
/ˈkʌmfɚtəbəl/ — The careful four-syllable form is correct but sounds formal in speech.Where “comfortable” goes wrong
- Often heard
“com-FORT-a-ble”/kʌmˈfɔɹtəbəl/
the stress is on the first syllable and the -or- collapses: KUMF-tur-buhl
What “comfortable” means
- adjective
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (`comfy' is informal)
“comfortable clothes”
- adjective
free from stress or conducive to mental ease; having or affording peace of mind
“was settled in a comfortable job, one for which he was well prepared”
- adjective
more than adequate
“the home team had a comfortable lead”
Say it in a sentence
“The old armchair is not beautiful, but it is extremely comfortable.”“comfortable”, answered
How do you pronounce “comfortable”?
“comfortable” is pronounced /ˈkʌmftɚbəl/ (KUMF-tur-buhl) in American English and /ˈkʌmftəbəl/ in British English, and /ˈkʌmfɚtəbəl/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “kʌmf”. Build it as KɅMF-tɚ-bəl, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “comfortable” have?
3: kʌmf · tɚ · bəl. The beat lands on the first, “kʌmf”. Read letter by letter it looks like 4 (com-FORT-a-ble), and that careful version is not wrong — but ordinary speech runs it to 3.
Is “comfortable” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈkʌmftɚbəl/ (KUMF-tur-buhl); British English says /ˈkʌmftəbəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “comfortable” mean?
As an adjective: providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (`comfy' is informal) For example: “comfortable clothes” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “comfortable”?
Stress the first syllable: KɅMF-tɚ-bəl. “kʌmf” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “comfortable” 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.