How to pronounce “weather”
Weather is pronounced /ˈweðər/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — we. 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 we in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern Oo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “weather”
✗ Often said: /ˈwiːθər/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈweðər/
Why the two come apart: at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here; also, a consonant letter takes an unexpected sound value here, so reading it "as written" comes out wrong.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “weather” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“weather” sound by sound
“weather” 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.
-
wRound and push the lips forward tightly, raise the back of the tongue, then glide immediately into the following vowel.
-
eHold the tongue mid-high and forward with the jaw slightly open and lips relaxed and unrounded.
-
ðSame tongue-to-teeth position as /θ/, but turn the voice on so the tongue tip vibrates against the teeth.
-
ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
Words that rhyme with “weather”
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 “weather”
Each of these differs from “weather” 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 “weather”
- How do you pronounce “weather”?
- “weather” is pronounced /ˈweðər/, with the stress on the first syllable (we). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “weather”?
- “weather” has 2 syllables: we · ðər. The stress pattern is Oo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “weather”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈwiːθər/, but it is actually /ˈweðər/, because at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here.
Stop looking words up one at a time
You just looked up one word. PHONO puts the IPA above every word of whatever you are reading — in your browser, in a PDF, in any app — the moment you select it. An offline pronunciation dictionary, US and UK audio, one hotkey.