How to pronounce “courage”
Courage is pronounced /ˈkɜːrədʒ/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — kɜːr. 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 kɜːr 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 “courage”
✗ Often said: /ˈkɔːreɪdʒ/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈkɜːrədʒ/
Why the two come apart: the “ou” is the /ɜː/ of “her”, and the final “-age” is an unstressed /ɪdʒ/, not the /eɪdʒ/ of “age”.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “courage” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“courage” sound by sound
“courage” 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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kRaise the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate, seal the air, then release it with a puff.
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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/.
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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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dʒThe voiced twin of /tʃ/: stop the air with the tongue at the ridge and release it into a voiced /ʒ/ buzz.
Silent letters in “courage”
Letters you write but never say — this is the single biggest reason the word trips people up:
- eThe letter “e”Silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) — write it, but do not let it reach your mouth.
Questions people ask about “courage”
- How do you pronounce “courage”?
- “courage” is pronounced /ˈkɜːrədʒ/, with the stress on the first syllable (kɜːr). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “courage”?
- “courage” has 2 syllables: kɜːr · ədʒ. The stress pattern is Oo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “courage”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈkɔːreɪdʒ/, but it is actually /ˈkɜːrədʒ/, because the “ou” is the /ɜː/ of “her”, and the final “-age” is an unstressed /ɪdʒ/, not the /eɪdʒ/ of “age”.
- Does “courage” have any silent letters?
- Yes — silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead).
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