How to pronounce “among”
Among is pronounced /əˈmʌŋ/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — mʌŋ. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 2 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting mʌŋ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oO — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “among”
✗ Often said: /ˈæmɑːŋ/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /əˈmʌŋ/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the second syllable (“mʌŋ”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes; also, the unstressed vowels flatten all the way down to /ə/ — English swallows them, so they never sound the way they are written; also, at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “among” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“among” sound by sound
“among” is built out of 4 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
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mClose the lips, lower the soft palate and let the voiced air come out through the nose.
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ʌKeep the tongue central and slightly low with a relaxed, neutral mouth — like a stressed, fuller version of the schwa.
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ŋRaise the back of the tongue against the soft palate as if for /ɡ/, but let the voiced air escape through the nose instead of releasing it.
Words that rhyme with “among”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “among”
Each of these differs from “among” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “among”
- How do you pronounce “among”?
- “among” is pronounced /əˈmʌŋ/, with the stress on the second syllable (mʌŋ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “among”?
- “among” has 2 syllables: ə · mʌŋ. The stress pattern is oO.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “among”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈæmɑːŋ/, but it is actually /əˈmʌŋ/, because the stress lands on the second syllable (“mʌŋ”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes.
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