How to pronounce “nature”
Nature is pronounced /ˈneɪtʃər/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — neɪ. 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 neɪ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern Oo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“nature” sound by sound
“nature” 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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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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eɪStart at the /e/ position and glide upward and forward toward /ɪ/ — the jaw closes as you say it.
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tʃStop the air with the tongue against the ridge, then release it slowly into a /ʃ/, so it is a stop plus a hiss glued into one sound.
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ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “nature”
Each of these differs from “nature” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “nature”
- How do you pronounce “nature”?
- “nature” is pronounced /ˈneɪtʃər/, with the stress on the first syllable (neɪ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “nature”?
- “nature” has 2 syllables: neɪ · tʃər. The stress pattern is Oo.
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