How to pronounce “inertia”
Inertia is pronounced /ˌɪˈnɜːrʃə/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — nɜːr. 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 nɜːr in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern ōOo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“inertia” sound by sound
“inertia” is built out of 5 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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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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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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ʃPull the tongue slightly back from the /s/ position, spread the blade wide behind the ridge, round the lips a little, and push air through with no voice.
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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.
Questions people ask about “inertia”
- How do you pronounce “inertia”?
- “inertia” is pronounced /ˌɪˈnɜːrʃə/, with the stress on the second syllable (nɜːr). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “inertia”?
- “inertia” has 3 syllables: ɪ · nɜːr · ʃə. The stress pattern is ōOo.
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