How to pronounce “unusual”
Unusual is pronounced /əˈnjuːˌʒuːəl/. It has 4 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — njuː. 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 njuː in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oOōo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“unusual” sound by sound
“unusual” is built out of 8 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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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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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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uːPush the tongue high and back and round the lips into a tight, forward circle; hold it tense and long.
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ʒSame as /ʃ/ — tongue blade behind the ridge, lips slightly rounded — but with the voice turned on.
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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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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.
Questions people ask about “unusual”
- How do you pronounce “unusual”?
- “unusual” is pronounced /əˈnjuːˌʒuːəl/, with the stress on the second syllable (njuː). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “unusual”?
- “unusual” has 4 syllables: ə · njuː · ʒuː · əl. The stress pattern is oOōo.
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