How to pronounce "effeminate" in EnglishVerb
ɪˈfɛm.ɪ.nət
ih·FEM·ih·nət
Primary stress: FEM
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No video clips indexed yet for “effeminate”
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “effeminate”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
ih
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
FEM
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
ih
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
nət
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("FEM"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America.
How Native Speakers Say It: In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "effeminate" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Practice Speaking “effeminate”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
An effeminate and unmanly foppery.
Hear it in context: “effeminate”
The English word “effeminate” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ɪˈfɛm.ɪ.nət (phonetic respelling: ih-FEM-ih-nət). Phonologically, it consists of 4 syllables (ih · FEM · ih · nət), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (FEM). Grammatically, “effeminate” functions as a adjective, verb, noun and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. Hear native speakers say effeminate in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “effeminate”
- Of a boy or man, exhibiting behavior or mannerisms considered typical of a woman or unmasculine.
- Womanly; tender, affectionate, caring.
- To make womanly; to unman.
- To become womanly.
- An effeminate person.
Example Sentences (2)
- “An effeminate and unmanly foppery.”
- “Gentle, kind, effeminate remorse.”
Pronounce: “effeminate”
- Pronunciation:
- ih-FEM-ih-nət
- Syllables:
- ih · FEM · ih · nət
- Written Hyphenation:
- ef · fem · i · nate
- Primary stress:
- FEM
- IPA:
- ɪˈfɛm.ɪ.nət
- Hear it in context
- effeminate
Words that Rhyme with “effeminate”
-ɛmɪnətWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"effeminate" (⁄ɪˈfɛm.ɪ.nət⁄) 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, "effeminate" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about effeminate
How do you pronounce “effeminate”?
“effeminate” is pronounced ⁄ɪˈfɛm.ɪ.nət⁄ (ih-FEM-ih-nət). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “effeminate”?
“effeminate” has 4 syllables: ih · FEM · ih · nət.
Where is the stress in “effeminate”?
The primary stress in “effeminate” is on “FEM”.
What does “effeminate” mean?
Of a boy or man, exhibiting behavior or mannerisms considered typical of a woman or unmasculine.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “effeminate”?
Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America. In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].