How many syllables are in “birthday”?

“Birthday” has 2 syllables: BURTH-day.

What is the IPA for “birthday”?

The American English IPA transcription of “birthday” is ˈbɝθdeɪ.

How can I practice pronouncing “birthday”?

Press play to hear “birthday” spoken by our AI model, then record yourself on this page to get an instant pronunciation score — your first try needs no account.

American English pronunciation

How to pronounce birthday

/ˈbɝθdeɪ/BURTH-day2 syllables

“birthday” leans on the English “th” sounds that many languages don't use. It's 2 syllables (BURTH-day), and the trick is in the sounds below — hear it, then say it back and let our AI model show you how close you landed.

Say it & get scored

Hear birthday, then record yourself and our AI model will score your pronunciation, sound by sound.

The sounds to nail

/b/as in bee
Voiced stop. Press lips together, release with vocal cord buzz.
/ɝ / ɚ/as in nurse
The American rhotic vowel. Curl tongue tip up and back without touching the roof.
/θ/as in thin
Voiceless 'th'. Tongue tip lightly between teeth, no voice. Don't substitute /t/ or /s/.

Trickier for some first languages

The sounds in “birthday” are common stumbling blocks for speakers of:

Russian speakers →French speakers →Indian English speakers →Chinese speakers →

Common questions

How many syllables are in “birthday”?: “Birthday” has 2 syllables: BURTH-day.
What is the IPA for “birthday”?: The American English IPA transcription of “birthday” is ˈbɝθdeɪ.
How can I practice pronouncing “birthday”?: Press play to hear “birthday” spoken by our AI model, then record yourself on this page to get an instant pronunciation score — your first try needs no account.

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More words to practice

think three thirty through this mother