How to pronounce “otherwise”
Say “otherwise” in 3 beats
otherwise
/ˈʌðɚˌwaɪz/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ʌðəwaɪz/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- ʌʌstress
- ðɚðɚ
- waɪzwaɪz
- IPA (American)
- /ˈʌðɚˌwaɪz/
- IPA (British)
- /ʌðəwaɪz/
- Respelling
- U-dhuh-wyz
- Syllables
- 3 — Ʌ-ðɚ-waɪz
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: Ʌ-ðɚ-waɪz. “ʌ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective, adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈʌðɚˌwaɪz/
/ʌðəwaɪz/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “otherwise” means
- adjective
other than as supposed or expected
“the outcome was otherwise”
- adverb
in other respects or ways
“he is otherwise normal”
- adverb
in another and different manner
“very soon you will know differently”
Say it in a sentence
“She left early, otherwise she would have missed the train.”“otherwise”, answered
How do you pronounce “otherwise”?
“otherwise” is pronounced /ˈʌðɚˌwaɪz/ (U-dhuh-wyz) in American English and /ʌðəwaɪz/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “ʌ”. Build it as Ʌ-ðɚ-waɪz, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “otherwise” have?
3: ʌ · ðɚ · waɪz. The beat lands on the first, “ʌ”.
Is “otherwise” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈʌðɚˌwaɪz/ (U-dhuh-wyz); British English says /ʌðəwaɪz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “otherwise” mean?
As an adjective: other than as supposed or expected For example: “the outcome was otherwise” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “otherwise”?
Stress the first syllable: Ʌ-ðɚ-waɪz. “ʌ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “otherwise” 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.