How to pronounce “cingular”
Cingular is pronounced /ˌsɪnɡuːˌlɜːr/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the 0th one — . 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 in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern ōoō — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“cingular” sound by sound
“cingular” 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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sHold the tongue tip near (not touching) the ridge behind the upper teeth and force a narrow stream of air down the groove of the tongue.
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ɪRelax the tongue slightly lower and further back than for /iː/, keep the lips neutral, and make it short and lax.
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nTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth, lower the soft palate, and voice the air out through the nose.
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ɡBack of the tongue seals against the soft palate and releases while the voice is already on — no puff of air.
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uːPush the tongue high and back and round the lips into a tight, forward circle; hold it tense and long.
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lTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth and let the voiced air flow around the sides of the tongue.
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ɜːrHold the tongue central and bunched or curled back for the whole vowel, with the R quality present from beginning to end — it is one continuous r-coloured vowel, not a vowel plus an /r/.
Questions people ask about “cingular”
- How do you pronounce “cingular”?
- “cingular” is pronounced /ˌsɪnɡuːˌlɜːr/, with the stress on the 0th syllable (). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “cingular”?
- “cingular” has 3 syllables: sɪn · ɡuː · lɜːr. The stress pattern is ōoō.
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