How to pronounce "screwups" in English
scre·wups
Hear native speakers say screwups in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “screwups”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
scre
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
wups
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 "screwups" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "screwups is" sounds like "screwups-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "screwups" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“And one of the things we do is we tend to focus on those screwups and to taint somebody with that if we don't like them.”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“the depression, the breakups, the professional screwups, the losses-- these relationships are ones we don't make them”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“But in my private version of the collection, I love the screwups.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “screwups”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
And one of the things we do is we tend to focus on those screwups and to taint somebody with that if we don't like them.
Hear it in context: “screwups”
3 clipsThe English word “screwups”. Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (scre · wups). Grammatically, “screwups” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 3 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “screwups” in natural connected speech across American (US: 3 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Harvard University.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (3 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #1 · @105:07
“wasn't a royal screwup in some way or another. And one of the things we do is we tend to focus on those screwups and to taint somebody with that if we don't like them. tend to focus on those screwups and to taint somebody with that”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @2:51
“the ones that sustain us through the emotional ups and downs, the depression, the breakups, the professional screwups, the losses-- these relationships are ones we don't make them the losses--”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @35:29
“It's just printed wrong. But in my private version of the collection, I love the screwups. I love the screwups.”
Definition & Meaning: “screwups”
- A substantial mistake, usually causing problems for more people than just the person or group who made it.
- A person who often makes substantial mistakes; a bungler.
Example Sentences (3)
- “The Ford administration emerged in better shape than it deserved from the fantastic screw-up that preceded the release of the Rockefeller...”
- “And one of the things we do is we tend to focus on those screwups and to taint somebody with that if we don't like them.”
- “the depression, the breakups, the professional screwups, the losses-- these relationships are ones we don't make them”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “screwups”
- Syllables:
- scre · wups
- Hear it in context
- screwups
Synonyms: “screwups”
Hear words related in meaning to “screwups” in real video clips:
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"screwups" 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, "screwups" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about screwups
How many syllables are in “screwups”?
“screwups” has 2 syllables: scre · wups.
What does “screwups” mean?
A substantial mistake, usually causing problems for more people than just the person or group who made it.
How can I hear “screwups” used in real sentences?
This page has 3 real-world video examples of “screwups” 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 “screwups”?
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⁄).