How to pronounce "harbours" in English
har·bours
Hear native speakers say harbours in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “harbours”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
har
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
bours
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: 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 "harbours" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "harbours is" sounds like "harbours-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "harbours" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“which everyone harbours in their heart, to push ourselves beyond the limit, to outdo, to grow.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“lillian cinere was 62 years old at the time she later sued police and won but she still harbours”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“But to my surprise, I would also discover a coastline that harbours signatures of the deep future too.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“And you can hop on for just 30 cents and enjoy one of the world’s most photographed harbours.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“ports and harbours right where Croatia planned to set up its own state in 1919”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“oceans small harbours like this one are good places to test a new cleanup device”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “harbours”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
which everyone harbours in their heart, to push ourselves beyond the limit, to outdo, to grow.
Hear it in context: “harbours”
10 clipsThe English word “harbours”. Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (har · bours). Grammatically, “harbours” functions as a noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 10 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “harbours” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @0:37
“and we grew used to this desire, which everyone harbours in their heart, to push ourselves beyond the limit, to outdo, to grow. to push ourselves beyond the limit, to outdo, to grow.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @3:20
“would not be spared the victim of this household lillian cinere was 62 years old at the time she later sued police and won but she still harbours she later sued police and won but she still harbours”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @1:25
“of the best places in the world to understand the deep geological past. But to my surprise, I would also discover a coastline that harbours signatures of the deep future too. that harbours signatures of the deep future too.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @3:14
“Running since 1888, this is the oldest mode of transportation across the harbour. And you can hop on for just 30 cents and enjoy one of the world’s most photographed harbours.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @1:40
“the Italians were promised strategic assets in Croatia Italy claimed Croatian ports and harbours right where Croatia planned to set up its own state in 1919 the southern Europeans had to change course to fend off the Italians they”
Definition & Meaning: “harbours”
- Standard spelling of harbor.
- Standard spelling of harbor.
Example Sentences (3)
- “In West Wales it has never been possible until recently to exploit the magnificent natural harbour of Milford Haven, for there was no industrial hinterland.”
- “The docks, which once harboured tall ships, now harbour only petty thieves.”
- “which everyone harbours in their heart, to push ourselves beyond the limit, to outdo, to grow.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “harbours”
- Syllables:
- har · bours
- Hear it in context
- harbours
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"harbours" 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, "harbours" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about harbours
How many syllables are in “harbours”?
“harbours” has 2 syllables: har · bours.
What does “harbours” mean?
Standard spelling of harbor.
How can I hear “harbours” used in real sentences?
This page has 10 real-world video examples of “harbours” 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 “harbours”?
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⁄).