How to pronounce “therefore”
Say “therefore” in 2 beats
therefore
/ˈðɛɹˌfɔɹ/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ðeəfɔː/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- ðɛɹðɛɹstress
- fɔɹfɔɹ
- IPA (American)
- /ˈðɛɹˌfɔɹ/
- IPA (British)
- /ðeəfɔː/
- Respelling
- DHER-fawr
- Syllables
- 2 — ÐƐɹ-fɔɹ
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: ÐƐɹ-fɔɹ. “ðɛɹ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈðɛɹˌfɔɹ/
/ðeəfɔː/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “therefore” means
- adverb
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
“therefore X must be true”
- adverb
as a consequence
“he had good reason to be grateful for the opportunities which they had made available to him and which consequently led to the good position he now held”
Say it in a sentence
“The road was closed and we therefore took the long way.”The sounds inside this word
Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.
“therefore”, answered
How do you pronounce “therefore”?
“therefore” is pronounced /ˈðɛɹˌfɔɹ/ (DHER-fawr) in American English and /ðeəfɔː/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ðɛɹ”. Build it as ÐƐɹ-fɔɹ, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “therefore” have?
2: ðɛɹ · fɔɹ. The beat lands on the first, “ðɛɹ”.
Is “therefore” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈðɛɹˌfɔɹ/ (DHER-fawr); British English says /ðeəfɔː/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “therefore” mean?
As an adverb: (used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result For example: “therefore X must be true” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “therefore”?
Stress the first syllable: ÐƐɹ-fɔɹ. “ðɛɹ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “therefore” 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.