How to pronounce “year”
Year is pronounced /ˈjɪr/. 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 “year”
✗ Often said: /ˈjiːr/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈjɪr/
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 “year” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“year” sound by sound
“year” 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.
-
jRaise the front of the tongue high toward the hard palate as if starting /iː/, then glide straight into the following vowel.
-
ɪRelax the tongue slightly lower and further back than for /iː/, keep the lips neutral, and make it short and lax.
-
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 “year”
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 “year”
Each of these differs from “year” 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 “year”
- How do you pronounce “year”?
- “year” is pronounced /ˈjɪr/. Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “year”?
- “year” has 1 syllable. The stress pattern is O.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “year”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈjiːr/, but it is actually /ˈjɪr/, 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.