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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “favourite”

“favourite” is pronounced /ˈfeɪvɹɪt/ (FAY-vrit), and /ˈfeɪvəɹɪt/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “feɪ”.
The sound

Say “favourite” in 2 beats

Say it like this

favourite

/ˈfeɪvɹɪt/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. feɪfeɪstress
  2. vɹɪtvɹɪt
IPA (American)
/ˈfeɪvɹɪt/
IPA (British)
/ˈfeɪvɹɪt/
Also accepted
/ˈfeɪvəɹɪt/
Respelling
FAY-vrit
Syllables
2 — FEꞮ-vɹɪt
Stress
Stress the first syllable: FEꞮ-vɹɪt. “feɪ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Watch out

Where “favourite” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    “fay-VOR-ite”

    the stress is first and the middle vowel usually disappears

Meaning

What “favourite” means

  1. noun

    a competitor thought likely to win

  2. noun

    a special loved one

  3. noun

    something regarded with special favor or liking

    “that book is one of my favorites”

Say it in a sentence

“Her favourite chapter is the one set entirely on a train.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
ffeɪlong avvɹrɪshort itt

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“favourite”, answered

How do you pronounce “favourite”?

“favourite” is pronounced /ˈfeɪvɹɪt/ (FAY-vrit), and /ˈfeɪvəɹɪt/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “feɪ”. Build it as FEꞮ-vɹɪt, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “favourite” have?

2: feɪ · vɹɪt. The beat lands on the first, “feɪ”. Read letter by letter it looks like 3 (fay-VOR-ite), and that careful version is not wrong — but ordinary speech runs it to 2.

Is “favourite” /ˈfeɪvɹɪt/ or /ˈfeɪvəɹɪt/?

Both. /ˈfeɪvɹɪt/ is the form dictionaries list first (FAY-vrit).

What does “favourite” mean?

As a noun: a competitor thought likely to win For example: “Her favourite chapter is the one set entirely on a train.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “favourite”?

Stress the first syllable: FEꞮ-vɹɪt. “feɪ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “favourite” and see every sound

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