How to pronounce “noteworthy”
Noteworthy is pronounced /ˈnoʊˌtwɜːrðiː/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — noʊ. 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 noʊ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern Oōo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “noteworthy”
✗ Often said: /ˈnɑːtuːɔːrθiː/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈnoʊˌtwɜːrðiː/
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 “noteworthy” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“noteworthy” sound by sound
“noteworthy” is built out of 7 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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oʊStart with mid-back, lightly rounded lips and glide toward /ʊ/, tightening the rounding as you finish.
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tTouch the tongue tip to the bumpy ridge just behind the upper teeth, block the air, then release it with a puff.
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wRound and push the lips forward tightly, raise the back of the tongue, then glide immediately into the following vowel.
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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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ðSame tongue-to-teeth position as /θ/, but turn the voice on so the tongue tip vibrates against the teeth.
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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.
Questions people ask about “noteworthy”
- How do you pronounce “noteworthy”?
- “noteworthy” is pronounced /ˈnoʊˌtwɜːrðiː/, with the stress on the first syllable (noʊ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “noteworthy”?
- “noteworthy” has 3 syllables: noʊ · twɜːr · ðiː. The stress pattern is Oōo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “noteworthy”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈnɑːtuːɔːrθiː/, but it is actually /ˈnoʊˌtwɜːrðiː/, because at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here.
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