How to pronounce backward
backward
/ˈbækwərd/
2 syllables, stress on the first
Check how you say it
Press the button and say “backward”. You get a percentage and see which sounds came out right.
Free, no sign-up. The recording is used only for scoring and is not stored.
Backward, sound by sound
| /b/as in bed | A voiced “b”. Do not turn it into “p” at the end of a word. |
| /æ/as in cat | Open the mouth wide, as for “ah”, but say “e”. Wider than in “bed”. |
| /k/as in cat | With a light puff of air at the start of a word. |
| /w/as in water | Round the lips as for “oo”, then open them at once. The teeth do not touch the lips. |
| /ər/as in bird | Lips relaxed, tongue in the middle of the mouth. Keep one steady sound. |
| /d/as in day | Tongue tip on the ridge behind the teeth. Do not turn it into “t” at the end of a word. |
In a sentence
He bent over backward to please his wife.
More words with the /w/ sound
- quebec/kwəˈbek/
- worcestershire/ˈwʊstərʃər/
- february/ˈfebjəweri/
- ubiquitous/juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/
- francois/frɑːnˈswɑː/
- bourgeois/bʊrʒˈwɑː/
- water/ˈwɔːtər/
- juan/wɑːn/
- uruguay/ˈjɜːəgweɪ/
- joaquin/wɑːˈkiːn/
Questions and answers
How do you pronounce backward?
Backward is pronounced /ˈbækwərd/ in American English.
How many syllables are in backward?
Backward has 2 syllables.
Which syllable is stressed in backward?
The first syllable: /ˈbækwərd/.