How to pronounce “homogeneous”
Homogeneous is pronounced /ˌhoʊməˈdʒiːniːəs/. It has 5 syllables, and the beat falls on the third one — dʒiː. 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 5 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 dʒiː in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern ōoOoo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “homogeneous”
✗ Often said: /ˈhɑːmɑːɡeneaʊs/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˌhoʊməˈdʒiːniːəs/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the third syllable (“dʒiː”), 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 “homogeneous” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“homogeneous” sound by sound
“homogeneous” is built out of 10 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.
-
hSimply breathe out through an open, relaxed mouth already shaped for the following vowel — there is no tongue or lip contact at all.
-
oʊStart with mid-back, lightly rounded lips and glide toward /ʊ/, tightening the rounding as you finish.
-
mClose the lips, lower the soft palate and let the voiced air come out through the nose.
-
əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
-
dʒThe voiced twin of /tʃ/: stop the air with the tongue at the ridge and release it into a voiced /ʒ/ buzz.
-
iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
-
nTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth, lower the soft palate, and voice the air out through the nose.
-
iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
-
əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
-
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.
Questions people ask about “homogeneous”
- How do you pronounce “homogeneous”?
- “homogeneous” is pronounced /ˌhoʊməˈdʒiːniːəs/, with the stress on the third syllable (dʒiː). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “homogeneous”?
- “homogeneous” has 5 syllables: hoʊ · mə · dʒiː · niː · əs. The stress pattern is ōoOoo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “homogeneous”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈhɑːmɑːɡeneaʊs/, but it is actually /ˌhoʊməˈdʒiːniːəs/, because the stress lands on the third syllable (“dʒiː”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes.
Stop looking words up one at a time
You just looked up one word. PHONO puts the IPA above every word of whatever you are reading — in your browser, in a PDF, in any app — the moment you select it. An offline pronunciation dictionary, US and UK audio, one hotkey.