How to pronounce “questionnaire”
Questionnaire is pronounced /ˌkwestʃəˈner/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the third one — ner. 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 ner in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern ōoO — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “questionnaire”
✗ Often said: /ˈkwestɪɑːnæaɪr/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˌkwestʃəˈner/
Why the two come apart: the silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it; also, the stress lands on the third syllable (“ner”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes; also, the unstressed vowels flatten all the way down to /ə/ — English swallows them, so they never sound the way they are written; also, at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “questionnaire” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“questionnaire” sound by sound
“questionnaire” is built out of 9 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.
-
kRaise the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate, seal the air, then release it with a puff.
-
wRound and push the lips forward tightly, raise the back of the tongue, then glide immediately into the following vowel.
-
eHold the tongue mid-high and forward with the jaw slightly open and lips relaxed and unrounded.
-
sHold the tongue tip near (not touching) the ridge behind the upper teeth and force a narrow stream of air down the groove of the tongue.
-
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.
-
əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
-
nTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth, lower the soft palate, and voice the air out through the nose.
-
eHold the tongue mid-high and forward with the jaw slightly open and lips relaxed and unrounded.
-
rCurl the tongue tip back (or bunch the tongue body up) without touching anything, round the lips slightly, and voice — the tongue must never tap the roof of the mouth.
Silent letters in “questionnaire”
Letters you write but never say — this is the single biggest reason the word trips people up:
- eThe letter “e”Silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) — write it, but do not let it reach your mouth.
Words that rhyme with “questionnaire”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “questionnaire”
- How do you pronounce “questionnaire”?
- “questionnaire” is pronounced /ˌkwestʃəˈner/, with the stress on the third syllable (ner). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “questionnaire”?
- “questionnaire” has 3 syllables: kwes · tʃə · ner. The stress pattern is ōoO.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “questionnaire”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈkwestɪɑːnæaɪr/, but it is actually /ˌkwestʃəˈner/, because the silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it.
- Does “questionnaire” have any silent letters?
- Yes — silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead).
Stop looking words up one at a time
You just looked up one word. PHONO puts the IPA above every word of whatever you are reading — in your browser, in a PDF, in any app — the moment you select it. An offline pronunciation dictionary, US and UK audio, one hotkey.