How to pronounce “apartheid”
Apartheid is pronounced /əˈpɑːrˌtaɪt/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — pɑːr. 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 3 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 pɑːr in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oOō — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “apartheid”
✗ Often said: /ˈæpɑːrθeɪd/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /əˈpɑːrˌtaɪt/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the second syllable (“pɑːr”), 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; also, a consonant letter takes an unexpected sound value here, so reading it "as written" comes out wrong.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “apartheid” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“apartheid” sound by sound
“apartheid” is built out of 7 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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pPress both lips together, build up air behind them, then release with a puff of air (aspiration) when the sound starts a stressed syllable.
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ɑːOpen the mouth wide, drop the tongue low and back, keep the lips unrounded, and hold it long — the doctor-says-"ahh" vowel.
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rCurl the tongue tip back (or bunch the tongue body up) without touching anything, round the lips slightly, and voice — the tongue must never tap the roof of the mouth.
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tTouch the tongue tip to the bumpy ridge just behind the upper teeth, block the air, then release it with a puff.
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aɪStart with the mouth open at an /a/-like position and glide up toward /ɪ/, closing the jaw as you go.
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tTouch the tongue tip to the bumpy ridge just behind the upper teeth, block the air, then release it with a puff.
Questions people ask about “apartheid”
- How do you pronounce “apartheid”?
- “apartheid” is pronounced /əˈpɑːrˌtaɪt/, with the stress on the second syllable (pɑːr). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “apartheid”?
- “apartheid” has 3 syllables: ə · pɑːr · taɪt. The stress pattern is oOō.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “apartheid”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈæpɑːrθeɪd/, but it is actually /əˈpɑːrˌtaɪt/, because the stress lands on the second syllable (“pɑːr”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes.
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