How to pronounce “sugar”
Sugar is pronounced /ˈʃʊɡər/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — ʃʊ. 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 ʃʊ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern Oo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“sugar” sound by sound
“sugar” is built out of 4 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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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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ʊPull the tongue high and back but keep it lax, with light, loose lip rounding — short and relaxed.
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ɡBack of the tongue seals against the soft palate and releases while the voice is already on — no puff of air.
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ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
Questions people ask about “sugar”
- How do you pronounce “sugar”?
- “sugar” is pronounced /ˈʃʊɡər/, with the stress on the first syllable (ʃʊ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “sugar”?
- “sugar” has 2 syllables: ʃʊ · ɡər. The stress pattern is Oo.
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