How to pronounce “herb”
Say “herb” in one beat
herb
/ɝb/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /hɜːb/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- herbɝb
- IPA (American)
- /ɝb/
- IPA (British)
- /hɜːb/
- Also accepted
- /hɝb/
- Respelling
- URB (UK HURB)
- Syllables
- 1 — herb
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɝb/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/ɝb/
/hɜːb/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “herb” goes wrong
- Often heard
“one form is wrong”
American English usually drops the h; British English sounds it.
What “herb” means
- noun
a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests
- noun
aromatic potherb used in cookery for its savory qualities
Say it in a sentence
“Add one more herb at the very end of the cooking.”“herb”, answered
How do you pronounce “herb”?
“herb” is pronounced /ɝb/ (URB (UK HURB)) in American English and /hɜːb/ in British English, and /hɝb/ is also accepted — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɝb/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “herb” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /ɝb/ — a single beat.
Is “herb” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ɝb/ (URB (UK HURB)); British English says /hɜːb/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “herb” mean?
As a noun: a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests For example: “Add one more herb at the very end of the cooking.” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “herb”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɝb/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “herb” 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.