answer
noun and verb · a reply to a question; to reply
- ANæn (stressed)
- sersɚ
- AHNɑːn (stressed)
- suhsə
- US /ˈæn.sɚ/AN-ser Recorded voice
- UK /ˈɑːn.sə/AHN-suh Your device’s voice
How to pronounce answer
Answer is pronounced AN-ser in American English and AHN-suh in British English. It has two syllables with the stress on the first, and the w is silent. British English also uses a longer ah vowel at the start.
- 2 syllables
- Stress on AN
- US and UK IPA
- Checked in Cambridge and Oxford
IPA checked in the Cambridge Dictionary and Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. The recording is American English.
Answer, sound by sound
Each sound in the IPA, with a word you already know that has it.
US American English/ˈæn.sɚ/
ANstressed
- /æ/as in cat
- /n/as in now
ser
- /s/as in see
- /ɚ/as in mother (US)
UK British English/ˈɑːn.sə/
AHNstressed
- /ɑː/as in father
- /n/as in now
suh
- /s/as in see
- /ə/as in about
Say answer yourself
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Tip. The w is silent. The second syllable is just ser, or suh in British English.
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Common answer pronunciation mistakes
What people often say instead, and how to fix it. Say AN-ser.
Not
AN-swerSaying the w. Go straight from the s to the vowel: AN-ser.
Not
an-SERStressing the second syllable. The noun and the verb are both stressed on the first.
Not
AN-swairReading swer like swear. The end is a weak ser, or suh in British English.
Answer in a sentence
Hear each one, slow it down, then say it. Words change a little when they join others, so practise them in sentences too.
I don't know the answer to that question.
Can you answer the phone, please?
She didn't answer my email.
Why is there a silent w in answer?
Answer is a very old English word. In Old English it was andswaru, built from and-, meaning against, and a word related to swear. The w was part of that swear sound.
Over time the w stopped being said in answer, but the spelling kept it. Swear itself still has its w: SWAIR. Sword is another word with a silent w after s.
The first vowel depends on the accent. American English uses the a of cat: AN-ser. Southern British English uses a long ah: AHN-suh, the same split you hear in dance, plant and can't. In the north of England it is closer to the American vowel.
Words that sound like answer
Rhymes and words that share its tricky sound. Open any of them in the checker and say it.
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