How to pronounce birthday
birthday
/ˈbɜːθdeɪ/
2 syllables, stress on the first
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What to watch for
th is the voiceless /θ/ here, as in “think”.
Birthday, sound by sound
| /b/as in bed | A voiced “b”. Do not turn it into “p” at the end of a word. |
| /ɜː/as in bird | Lips relaxed, tongue in the middle of the mouth. Keep one steady sound. |
| /θ/as in think | Tongue tip between the teeth, breathe out with no voice. It is not S, F or T. |
| /d/as in day | Tongue tip on the ridge behind the teeth. Do not turn it into “t” at the end of a word. |
| /eɪ/as in day | Glide from “e” to a short “i”. One syllable. |
In a sentence
I bought a pen for your birthday present.
More words with the /θ/ sound
- fatima/ˈfæθɪmə/
- goethe/gəʊθ/
- scythe/sɪθ/
- through/θruː/
- lymphadenopathy/lɪmfəˈdenəpæθi/
- ethereal/ɪˈθɪriːəl/
- atherosclerosis/æθərəʊsklərˈəʊsɪs/
- ianthe/iːˈɑːnθeɪ/
- months/mʌnθs/
- sloth/sləʊθ/
Questions and answers
How do you pronounce birthday?
Birthday is pronounced /ˈbɜːθdeɪ/ in American English.
How many syllables are in birthday?
Birthday has 2 syllables.
Which syllable is stressed in birthday?
The first syllable: /ˈbɜːθdeɪ/.
Is there a silent or unusual letter in birthday?
th is the voiceless /θ/ here, as in “think”.