How to pronounce “eureka”
Eureka is pronounced /jʊˈriːkə/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — riː. 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 riː in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oOo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“eureka” sound by sound
“eureka” is built out of 6 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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jRaise the front of the tongue high toward the hard palate as if starting /iː/, then glide straight into the following vowel.
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ʊPull the tongue high and back but keep it lax, with light, loose lip rounding — short and relaxed.
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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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iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
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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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əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
Words that rhyme with “eureka”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “eureka”
- How do you pronounce “eureka”?
- “eureka” is pronounced /jʊˈriːkə/, with the stress on the second syllable (riː). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “eureka”?
- “eureka” has 3 syllables: jʊ · riː · kə. The stress pattern is oOo.
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