How to pronounce “war”
War is pronounced /ˈwɔːr/. It has 1 syllable. 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 1 beat. It is a single beat — one vowel, said in one push of breath.
Stress pattern O — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “war”
✗ Often said: /ˈwɑːr/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈwɔːr/
Why the two come apart: 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 “war” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“war” sound by sound
“war” is built out of 3 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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wRound and push the lips forward tightly, raise the back of the tongue, then glide immediately into the following vowel.
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ɔːTongue low and back like /ɑː/, but round the lips and push them forward slightly; the sound is long and rounded.
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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.
Words that rhyme with “war”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “war”
Each of these differs from “war” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “war”
- How do you pronounce “war”?
- “war” is pronounced /ˈwɔːr/. Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “war”?
- “war” has 1 syllable. The stress pattern is O.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “war”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈwɑːr/, but it is actually /ˈwɔːr/, because at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here.
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