Pronunciation

How to pronounce “minor

“minor” is pronounced /ˈmaɪnɚ/ (MY-nuh) in American English and /maɪnə/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “min”.
The sound

Say “minor” in 2 beats

Say it like this

minor

/ˈmaɪnɚ/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /maɪnə/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. minmaɪstress
  2. or
IPA (American)
/ˈmaɪnɚ/
IPA (British)
/maɪnə/
Respelling
MY-nuh
Syllables
2 — MIN-or
Stress
Stress the first syllable: MIN-or. “min” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈmaɪnɚ/

British

/maɪnə/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “minor” means

  1. noun

    a young person of either sex

    she writes books for children

  2. adjective

    of lesser importance or stature or rank

    a minor poet

  3. adjective

    lesser in scope or effect

    had minor differences

Say it in a sentence

No minor is allowed in the bar after nine.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 sounds, in the order you say them

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

Questions

minor”, answered

How do you pronounce “minor”?

“minor” is pronounced /ˈmaɪnɚ/ (MY-nuh) in American English and /maɪnə/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “min”. Build it as MIN-or, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “minor” have?

2: min · or. The beat lands on the first, “min”.

Is “minor” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈmaɪnɚ/ (MY-nuh); British English says /maɪnə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “minor” mean?

As a noun: a young person of either sex For example: “she writes books for children” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “minor”?

Stress the first syllable: MIN-or. “min” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “minor” 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.