How to pronounce "devoir" in English
dəˈvwɑː
də·VWAH
Primary stress: VWAH
Hear native speakers say devoir in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “devoir”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
də
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
VWAH
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("VWAH"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "devoir" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "devoir is" sounds like "devoir-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "devoir" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“Devoir wrote that one is not not born but rather made a woman.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“like Rwanda kot devoir ner Ethiopia Benin and mosm Beque performing”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“devoir stop it this must be the sturdiest golf ever says our cart estimate is correct made of granite it becomes a symbol for the annual GTI meet”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Je pense devoir tout le monde.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
Practice Speaking “devoir”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
Devoir wrote that one is not not born but rather made a woman.
Hear it in context: “devoir”
4 clipsThe English word “devoir” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as dəˈvwɑː (phonetic respelling: də-VWAH). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (də · VWAH), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (VWAH). Grammatically, “devoir” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 4 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “devoir” in natural connected speech across American (US: 4 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (4 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @2:42
“sex, French feminist philosopher Simone Devoir wrote that one is not not born but rather made a woman. It was a novel but rather made a woman. It was a novel”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @20:15
“Africa are forecast to record strong growth in the years ahead with countries like Rwanda kot devoir ner Ethiopia Benin and mosm Beque performing consistently well but sometimes those growth rates can be”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @20:29
“the highway this is mosey hola bola devoir stop it this must be the sturdiest golf ever says our cart estimate is correct made of granite it becomes a symbol for the annual GTI meet estimate is correct made of granite it becomes a symbol for the annual GTI meet”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #4 · @3:32
“Another pressure. Problem. C'était moi. Je pense devoir tout le monde. Je pense devoir tout le monde.”
Definition & Meaning: “devoir”
- Duty, business; something that one must do.
Example Sentences (3)
- “[…] he imprint not so much in his schollers mind […] where Marcellus died, as because he was unworthy of his devoire he died there[…].”
- “Devoir wrote that one is not not born but rather made a woman. It was a novel”
- “like Rwanda kot devoir ner Ethiopia Benin and mosm Beque performing”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “devoir”
- Pronunciation:
- də-VWAH
- Syllables:
- də · VWAH
- Written Hyphenation:
- de · voir
- Primary stress:
- VWAH
- IPA:
- dəˈvwɑː
- Hear it in context
- devoir
Words that Rhyme with “devoir”
-ɑWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"devoir" (⁄dəˈvwɑː⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "devoir" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about devoir
How do you pronounce “devoir”?
“devoir” is pronounced ⁄dəˈvwɑː⁄ (də-VWAH). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “devoir”?
“devoir” has 2 syllables: də · VWAH.
Where is the stress in “devoir”?
The primary stress in “devoir” is on “VWAH”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “devoir” mean?
Duty, business; something that one must do.
How can I hear “devoir” used in real sentences?
This page has 4 real-world video examples of “devoir” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “devoir”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).