How to pronounce “receivables”
Receivables is pronounced /rɪˈsiːvəbəlz/. It has 4 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — siː. 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 4 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 siː in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oOoo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“receivables” sound by sound
“receivables” is built out of 10 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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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.
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ɪRelax the tongue slightly lower and further back than for /iː/, keep the lips neutral, and make it short and lax.
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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.
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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.
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vUpper teeth on the lower lip, push air through the gap, and add voicing so the lip buzzes.
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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.
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bPress both lips together and release them while the vocal folds are already vibrating, with no puff of air.
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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.
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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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zExactly the /s/ tongue position with voicing added, so the airflow buzzes.
Questions people ask about “receivables”
- How do you pronounce “receivables”?
- “receivables” is pronounced /rɪˈsiːvəbəlz/, with the stress on the second syllable (siː). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “receivables”?
- “receivables” has 4 syllables: rɪ · siː · və · bəlz. The stress pattern is oOoo.
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