How to pronounce “firm”
Say “firm” in one beat
firm
/fɝm/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /fɜːm/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- firmfɝm
- IPA (American)
- /fɝm/
- IPA (British)
- /fɜːm/
- Respelling
- FURM
- Syllables
- 1 — firm
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /fɝm/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb, adjective, adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/fɝm/
/fɜːm/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “firm” means
- noun
the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments
“he worked for a brokerage house”
- verb
become taut or tauter
“Your muscles will firm when you exercise regularly”
- verb
make taut or tauter
“tauten a rope”
Say it in a sentence
“She joined a small law firm right after graduating.”“firm”, answered
How do you pronounce “firm”?
“firm” is pronounced /fɝm/ (FURM) in American English and /fɜːm/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /fɝm/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “firm” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /fɝm/ — a single beat.
Is “firm” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /fɝm/ (FURM); British English says /fɜːm/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “firm” mean?
As a noun: the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments For example: “he worked for a brokerage house” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “firm”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /fɝm/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “firm” 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.