How to pronounce “pneumonia”
Pneumonia is pronounced /nuːˈmoʊnjə/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — moʊ. 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 moʊ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oOo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“pneumonia” sound by sound
“pneumonia” 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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uːPush the tongue high and back and round the lips into a tight, forward circle; hold it tense and long.
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mClose the lips, lower the soft palate and let the voiced air come 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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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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jRaise the front of the tongue high toward the hard palate as if starting /iː/, then glide straight into the following vowel.
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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.
Silent letters in “pneumonia”
Letters you write but never say — this is the single biggest reason the word trips people up:
- pThe letter “p”Silent “p” in the initial “ps-/pn-” — write it, but do not let it reach your mouth.
Words that rhyme with “pneumonia”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “pneumonia”
- How do you pronounce “pneumonia”?
- “pneumonia” is pronounced /nuːˈmoʊnjə/, with the stress on the second syllable (moʊ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “pneumonia”?
- “pneumonia” has 3 syllables: nuː · moʊ · njə. The stress pattern is oOo.
- Does “pneumonia” have any silent letters?
- Yes — silent “p” in the initial “ps-/pn-”.
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