How to pronounce "selfeffacing" in English
ˌsɛl.fəˈfeɪ.sɪŋ
sel·fə·FAY·sing
Primary stress: FAY
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.
No video clips indexed yet for “selfeffacing”
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: “selfeffacing”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
sel
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
fə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
FAY
Gliding diphthong with sustained vocal resonance.
sing
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the third syllable ("FAY"). 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 "selfeffacing" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "selfeffacing is" sounds like "selfeffacing-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "selfeffacing" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Practice Speaking “selfeffacing”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
Her self-effacing nature meant she rarely took credit for the project's success.
Hear it in context: “selfeffacing”
The English word “selfeffacing” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˌsɛl.fəˈfeɪ.sɪŋ (phonetic respelling: sel-fə-FAY-sing). Phonologically, it consists of 4 syllables (sel · fə · FAY · sing), with primary lexical stress placed on the 3rd syllable (FAY). Grammatically, “selfeffacing” functions as a adjective. Hear native speakers say selfeffacing in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “selfeffacing”
- Not claiming attention for oneself; modest and reticent.
Example Sentences (1)
- “Her self-effacing nature meant she rarely took credit for the project's success.”
Pronounce: “selfeffacing”
- Pronunciation:
- sel-fə-FAY-sing
- Syllables:
- sel · fə · FAY · sing
- Written Hyphenation:
- self · ef · fa · cing
- Primary stress:
- FAY
- IPA:
- ˌsɛl.fəˈfeɪ.sɪŋ
- Hear it in context
- selfeffacing
Words that Rhyme with “selfeffacing”
-eɪsɪŋWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"selfeffacing" (⁄ˌsɛl.fəˈfeɪ.sɪŋ⁄) 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, "selfeffacing" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about selfeffacing
How do you pronounce “selfeffacing”?
“selfeffacing” is pronounced ⁄ˌsɛl.fəˈfeɪ.sɪŋ⁄ (sel-fə-FAY-sing). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “selfeffacing”?
“selfeffacing” has 4 syllables: sel · fə · FAY · sing.
Where is the stress in “selfeffacing”?
The primary stress in “selfeffacing” is on “FAY”.
What does “selfeffacing” mean?
Not claiming attention for oneself; modest and reticent.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “selfeffacing”?
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⁄).