How to pronounce “social”
Social is pronounced /ˈsoʊʃəl/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — soʊ. 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 soʊ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern Oo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“social” sound by sound
“social” is built out of 5 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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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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oʊStart with mid-back, lightly rounded lips and glide toward /ʊ/, tightening the rounding as you finish.
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ʃPull the tongue slightly back from the /s/ position, spread the blade wide behind the ridge, round the lips a little, and push air through with no voice.
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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.
Words that rhyme with “social”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “social”
- How do you pronounce “social”?
- “social” is pronounced /ˈsoʊʃəl/, with the stress on the first syllable (soʊ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “social”?
- “social” has 2 syllables: soʊ · ʃəl. The stress pattern is Oo.
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