How to pronounce "foretells" in English
fo·re·tells
Hear native speakers say foretells in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “foretells”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
fo
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
re
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
tells
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Keep the vowel length balanced, placing subtle emphasis on the root morpheme according to standard conversational rhythm.
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 "foretells" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "foretells is" sounds like "foretells-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "foretells" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“simply than that: "And by occasion foretells the ruin of our corrupted Clergy."”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“A barley seedling predicts a baby boy, while emmer foretells a girl.”— TED-EdWatch clip
“counties were no such rallies occurred this disturbing reality foretells a”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“To others it foretells of an era of greater privacy and civil liberties protections,”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“And by occasion foretells the ruin of our corrupted Clergy, then in their height."Eight years after its initial composition, Milton looks back at this”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“terrifying privacy and civil liberties implications to others it foretells of an era of greater privacy and civil liberties protections but privacy and”— TED-EdWatch clip
Practice Speaking “foretells”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
simply than that: "And by occasion foretells the ruin of our corrupted Clergy."
Hear it in context: “foretells”
12 clipsThe English word “foretells”. Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (fo · re · tells). Grammatically, “foretells” functions as a verb. SayItVid indexes 12 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “foretells” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from YaleCourses, TED-Ed, TEDx Talks.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #1 · @50:53
“be covered in this poem. But this headnote goes a lot further simply than that: "And by occasion foretells the ruin of our corrupted Clergy." Milton is -- this is outrageous! ruin of our corrupted Clergy." Milton is -- this is outrageous!”
- 🇺🇸 USTED-EdClip #2 · @1:54
“If the plants grow, she’s pregnant. A barley seedling predicts a baby boy, while emmer foretells a girl. while emmer foretells a girl.”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #3 · @4:28
“we saw increases in hate crimes of over 200 percent as compared to nearby counties were no such rallies occurred this disturbing reality foretells a really dangerous intersection between hate and politics in this nation that”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @8:15
“something that's been nearly impossible to do before. To some, this has terrifying privacy and civil liberties implications. To others it foretells of an era of greater privacy and civil liberties protections, implications. To others it foretells of an era of greater”
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #5 · @49:48
“"… on the Irish Seas, 1637. And by occasion foretells the ruin of our corrupted Clergy, then in their height."Eight years after its initial composition, Milton looks back at this then in their height."Eight years after its initial”
Definition & Meaning: “foretells”
- To predict; to tell (the future) before it occurs; to prophesy.
- To tell (a person) of the future.
Example Sentences (3)
- “Deeds then undone me faithful tongue foretold.”
- “[…] there came to him a Person named Saul, whom Samuel had never before seen; but God made him know it was the same he had foretold him of.”
- “simply than that: "And by occasion foretells the ruin of our corrupted Clergy." Milton is -- this is outrageous!”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “foretells”
- Syllables:
- fo · re · tells
- Hear it in context
- foretells
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"foretells" 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, "foretells" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about foretells
How many syllables are in “foretells”?
“foretells” has 3 syllables: fo · re · tells.
What does “foretells” mean?
To predict; to tell (the future) before it occurs; to prophesy.
How can I hear “foretells” used in real sentences?
This page has 12 real-world video examples of “foretells” 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 “foretells”?
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].