How to pronounce “welcome”
Welcome is pronounced /ˈwelkəm/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — wel. 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 wel 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 “welcome”
✗ Often said: /ˈwelkoʊm/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈwelkəm/
Why the two come apart: the silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it; also, the unstressed vowels flatten all the way down to /ə/ — English swallows them, so they never sound the way they are written.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “welcome” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“welcome” sound by sound
“welcome” is built out of 6 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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eHold the tongue mid-high and forward with the jaw slightly open and lips relaxed and unrounded.
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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.
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kRaise the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate, seal the air, then release it with a puff.
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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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mClose the lips, lower the soft palate and let the voiced air come out through the nose.
Silent letters in “welcome”
Letters you write but never say — this is the single biggest reason the word trips people up:
- eThe letter “e”Silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) — write it, but do not let it reach your mouth.
Words that rhyme with “welcome”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “welcome”
- How do you pronounce “welcome”?
- “welcome” is pronounced /ˈwelkəm/, with the stress on the first syllable (wel). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “welcome”?
- “welcome” has 2 syllables: wel · kəm. The stress pattern is Oo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “welcome”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈwelkoʊm/, but it is actually /ˈwelkəm/, because the silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it.
- Does “welcome” have any silent letters?
- Yes — silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead).
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