How to pronounce “whereas”
Whereas is pronounced /weˈræz/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — ræz. 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 ræz in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oO — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“whereas” sound by sound
“whereas” is built out of 5 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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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.
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æDrop the jaw noticeably, push the front of the tongue low and forward, and spread the lips — it is a flat, bright, fairly long American vowel.
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zExactly the /s/ tongue position with voicing added, so the airflow buzzes.
Words that rhyme with “whereas”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “whereas”
- How do you pronounce “whereas”?
- “whereas” is pronounced /weˈræz/, with the stress on the second syllable (ræz). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “whereas”?
- “whereas” has 2 syllables: we · ræz. The stress pattern is oO.
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