English
Online with Speak MethodEnglish Pronunciation:
Connecting Two Vowel Sounds
| In
American English, when two separate vowel sounds are next to each
other, we naturally connect them with with a light Y or W sound. This
is a subtle point of pronunciation. It is
useful if you are aiming for fluency or if it will improve your ability
to understand American speakers. Many double vowel spellings have only one sound--for example, "oa" indicates a long O sound as in "boat." Usually, two vowel sounds (notice this is about sounds, not letters) will be next to each other when a prefix, such as "re," "pre," "pro" or "co," is combined with a word that begins with a vowel. Also, some prefixes have double vowel sounds, like "bio" and "geo." The small Y or W happens because Americans are not precise with vowels. We have clear sounds, but we are comfortable switching from one sound to another as we speak, so that there is a blending sound in between. |
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| Words
with Y Sounds |
Pronunciation |
Words
with W Sounds |
Pronunciation |
| beautiful |
bee-YOO-di-ful |
going |
GO-wing |
| create |
cree-YATE |
doing |
DOO-wing |
| eon |
EE-yon |
co-ed |
CO-wed |
| aquarium |
u-KWAIR-ee-yum |
cooperate |
co-WO-per-ate |
| millennium |
mil-LE-nee-yum |
coicidence |
co-WIN-si-dens |
| biology |
bi-Yo-lu-jee |
co-exist |
co-weg-ZIST |
| geography |
jee-YO-gru-fee |
canoeing |
cu-NOO-wing |
| radio |
RA-dee-yo |
manual |
MAN-yoo-wul |
| audio |
AH-dee-yo |
proactive |
pro-WAK-tiv |
| preoccupy |
pree-YO-kyoo-pi |
annual |
AN-yoo-wul |
| reimburse |
ree-yim-BURS |
fluent |
FLU-went |
| reinvent |
ree-yin-VENT |
boa |
BO-wu |
| reaction |
ree-YAK-shun |
ruin |
ROO-win |
| reunion |
ree-YOON-yun |
usual |
YOO-zhoo-wul |
| diameter |
di-YAM-e-der |
eventual |
ee-VEN-choo-wul |
| priority |
pri-YOR-i-dee |
fluid |
FLOO-wid |
| trial |
TRI-yul |
poetry |
PO-we-tree |