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How to pronounce water

Water is pronounced WAH-ter in American English and WAW-tuh in British English, with two syllables and the stress on the first. In American English the t is a quick tap that sounds close to a d, so you will often hear something like WAH-der.

Say it yourself
  • 2 syllables
  • Stress on WAH
  • US and UK IPA
  • Checked in Cambridge and Oxford

water

Two syllables, stress on the first

noun and verb · the clear liquid in rain, rivers and seas; to pour water on plants

  1. WAHwɑː (stressed)
  2. tert̬ɚ
  • US /ˈwɑː.t̬ɚ/WAH-ter Recorded voice
  • UK /ˈwɔː.tə/WAW-tuh Your device’s voice

Also said: US /ˈwɔː.t̬ɚ/.

IPA checked in the Cambridge Dictionary and Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. Oxford gives WAW-ter for American English. Both vowels are common in the US. The recording is American English.

Water, sound by sound

Each sound in the IPA, with a word you already know that has it.

US American English/ˈwɑː.t̬ɚ/

  1. WAHstressed

    • /w/as in wet
    • /ɑː/as in father

  2. ter

    • /t̬/as in water (US)
    • /ɚ/as in mother (US)

UK British English/ˈwɔː.tə/

  1. WAWstressed

    • /w/as in wet
    • /ɔː/as in saw

  2. tuh

    • /t/as in tea
    • /ə/as in about

Say water yourself

Press the microphone and say it once. Your browser writes down what it hears: if it writes water, you were understood. If it writes another word, you see which sound changed.

Tip. In American English the T sounds like a quick, soft D.

Record yourself and play it next to our recording: the quickest way to hear a difference.

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water

    Common water pronunciation mistakes

    What people often say instead, and how to fix it. Say WAH-ter.

    • NotWAT-er

      Saying the a as in cat. After w, the a is ah or aw.

    • NotVAH-ter

      Saying v instead of w. Round your lips for w, and keep your teeth off your lip.

    • Notwah-TER

      Stressing the second syllable. Stress the first and keep the end weak.

    Water 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.

    • Can I have a glass of water, please?

    • Don't forget to water the plants.

    • The water in the lake was freezing.

    Why does the t in water sound like a d?

    In American English, a t between two vowels, after a stressed syllable, turns into a quick tap of the tongue. It sounds like a light d. That is why water, city, better and butter can sound like wadder, ciddy, bedder and budder.

    British English normally keeps a clear t: WAW-tuh. In some British accents, such as London speech, the t can become a short catch in the throat instead.

    The vowel is the other trap. After w, the letter a rarely sounds like the a in cat: think of want, wash and watch. British speakers say a long WAW. Many Americans say WAH, and Oxford gives WAW-ter for American English.

    If the tap is hard for you, a soft, quick d is closer to American speech than a strong t.

    Words that sound like water

    Rhymes and words that share its tricky sound. Open any of them in the checker and say it.

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