How to pronounce "embarrass" in English
ɪmˈbær.əs
im·BAR·əs
Primary stress: BAR
Hear native speakers say embarrass in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “embarrass”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
im
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
BAR
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
əs
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("BAR"). 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 "embarrass" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "embarrass is" sounds like "embarrass-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "embarrass" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“embarrass anyone but because I want to let I want them to let go of the hesitation.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“embarrass trikes back is uh I mean we go back and forth whether we like that or a new hope a sort of like alien aliens it depends a day of the week but it was a”— WIREDWatch clip
“embarrass ya cuz I'm confused whether Rho is the radius in the complex plane”— StanfordWatch clip
“embarrass them or abuse them.”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“embarrass me when I'm wrong.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“embarrass the Queen or lead to expose her to criticism or question and I think”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “embarrass”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
embarrass anyone but because I want to let I want them to let go of the hesitation.
Hear it in context: “embarrass”
663 clipsThe English word “embarrass” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ɪmˈbær.əs (phonetic respelling: im-BAR-əs). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (im · BAR · əs), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (BAR). Grammatically, “embarrass” functions as a verb. SayItVid indexes 663 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “embarrass” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks, WIRED, Stanford.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @12:08
“short song. Why? Not because I want to embarrass anyone but because I want to let I want them to let go of the hesitation. let I want them to let go of the”
- 🇺🇸 USWIREDClip #2 · @20:30
“a homework assignment for them that they had a watch stand by me embarrass trikes back is uh I mean we go back and forth whether we like that or a new hope a sort of like alien aliens it depends a day of the week but it was a new hope a sort of like alien aliens it depends a day of the week but it was a”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #3 · @33:06
“mass no giving giving the Higgs boson a mass and also giving the gauge boson embarrass ya cuz I'm confused whether Rho is the radius in the complex plane or is the field that at a radius in the complex I know the field is a point in”
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #4 · @76:11
“is respect for your characters, that you don't embarrass them or abuse them. Or you know what I mean?”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #5 · @9:33
“always like, please, Tyler, don't embarrass me when I'm wrong. You don't have this pressure out there, but the teaching”
Definition & Meaning: “embarrass”
- To disrupt someone's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely.
- To hinder from liberty of movement; to impede; to obstruct.
Example Sentences (3)
- “The crowd's laughter and jeers embarrassed him.”
- “The motion was advanced in order to embarrass the progress of the bill.”
- “embarrass anyone but because I want to let I want them to let go of the hesitation.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “embarrass”
- Pronunciation:
- im-BAR-əs
- Syllables:
- im · BAR · əs
- Written Hyphenation:
- em · bar · rass
- Primary stress:
- BAR
- IPA:
- ɪmˈbær.əs
- Hear it in context
- embarrass
Synonyms: “embarrass”
Hear words related in meaning to “embarrass” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “embarrass”
-ærəsWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"embarrass" (⁄ɪmˈbær.əs⁄) 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, "embarrass" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about embarrass
How do you pronounce “embarrass”?
“embarrass” is pronounced ⁄ɪmˈbær.əs⁄ (im-BAR-əs). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “embarrass”?
“embarrass” has 3 syllables: im · BAR · əs.
Where is the stress in “embarrass”?
The primary stress in “embarrass” is on “BAR”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “embarrass” mean?
To disrupt someone's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely.
How can I hear “embarrass” used in real sentences?
This page has 663 real-world video examples of “embarrass” 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 “embarrass”?
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⁄).