How to pronounce “lingerie”
Lingerie is pronounced /ˈlɑːnʒərˌeɪ/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — lɑːn. 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 lɑːn in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern Ooō — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “lingerie”
✗ Often said: /ˈlɪŋəraɪ/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈlɑːnʒərˌeɪ/
Why the two come apart: 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 “lingerie” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“lingerie” sound by sound
“lingerie” 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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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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ɑːOpen the mouth wide, drop the tongue low and back, keep the lips unrounded, and hold it long — the doctor-says-"ahh" vowel.
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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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ʒSame as /ʃ/ — tongue blade behind the ridge, lips slightly rounded — but with the voice turned on.
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ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
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eɪStart at the /e/ position and glide upward and forward toward /ɪ/ — the jaw closes as you say it.
Questions people ask about “lingerie”
- How do you pronounce “lingerie”?
- “lingerie” is pronounced /ˈlɑːnʒərˌeɪ/, with the stress on the first syllable (lɑːn). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “lingerie”?
- “lingerie” has 3 syllables: lɑːn · ʒər · eɪ. The stress pattern is Ooō.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “lingerie”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈlɪŋəraɪ/, but it is actually /ˈlɑːnʒərˌeɪ/, because at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here.
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