How to pronounce "authority" in English
əˈθɔːrəti
ə·THOR·ə·tee
Primary stress: THOR
Hear native speakers say authority in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “authority”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
ə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
THOR
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
ə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
tee
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("THOR"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Many learners substitute "th" with "s", "z", "t", or "d".
How Native Speakers Say It: Place the flat blade of your tongue lightly between your upper and lower incisors. Blow air gently without vocal chord vibration to produce the unvoiced ⁄θ⁄ sound.
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 "authority" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "authority is" sounds like "authority-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "authority" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Shifts primary stress to the antepenultimate syllable (two syllables back).
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“Authority figures have power over us and so we pay attention as long as they have that power over us.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“authority on early blues, a man named Mack McCormick, who lived in Houston-- recently died-- going to visit him,”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Authority has erected. The people who live in it have all the aesthetic sense of a senile jackdaw.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Authority charisma is super useful when you're a crisis situation and need people to obey and react fast.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“authority and accountability. You cannot have a clear understanding in the minds of the people between their word and public good that results from that. And most of all, you cannot have a link between taxes”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“authority we've got to switch that relationship around um what is what is the strategy”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “authority”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
Authority figures have power over us and so we pay attention as long as they have that power over us.
Hear it in context: “authority”
13,109 clipsThe English word “authority” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as əˈθɔːrəti (phonetic respelling: ə-THOR-ə-tee). Phonologically, it consists of 4 syllables (ə · THOR · ə · tee), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (THOR). Grammatically, “authority” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 13,109 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “authority” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USClip #1 · @24:50
“of reputable sources that we pay attention to. Authority figures have power over us and so we pay attention as long as they have that power over us. and so we pay attention as long as they”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @30:08
“which essentially meant finding the greatest living authority on early blues, a man named Mack McCormick, who lived in Houston-- recently died-- going to visit him, who lived in Houston-- recently died-- going to visit him,”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @24:14
“architectural train wreck that the Galactic Authority has erected. The people who live in it have all the aesthetic sense of a senile jackdaw. The people who live in it have all the aesthetic sense of a”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @19:09
“They all have different benefits. Authority charisma is super useful when you're a crisis situation and need people to obey and react fast. and react fast.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @24:24
“deliver services. Without local government empowerment, you cannot have a linkage between authority and accountability. You cannot have a clear understanding in the minds of the people between their word and public good that results from that. And most of all, you cannot have a link between taxes You cannot have a clear understanding in the minds of the people between their word and”
Definition & Meaning: “authority”
- Power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right.
- Persons, regarded collectively, who occupy official positions of power; police or law enforcement.
Example Sentences (3)
- “I have the authority to penalise the staff in my department, but not the authority to sack them.”
- “Authorities say the suspect fled on foot.”
- “Authority figures have power over us and so we pay attention as long as they have that power over us.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “authority”
- Pronunciation:
- ə-THOR-ə-tee
- Syllables:
- ə · THOR · ə · tee
- Written Hyphenation:
- au · thor · i · ty
- Primary stress:
- THOR
- IPA:
- əˈθɔːrəti
- Hear it in context
- authority
Synonyms: “authority”
Hear words related in meaning to “authority” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “authority”
-ɔrətiWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"authority" (⁄əˈθɔːrəti⁄) 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, "authority" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about authority
How do you pronounce “authority”?
“authority” is pronounced ⁄əˈθɔːrəti⁄ (ə-THOR-ə-tee). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “authority”?
“authority” has 4 syllables: ə · THOR · ə · tee.
Where is the stress in “authority”?
The primary stress in “authority” is on “THOR”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “authority” mean?
Power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligation; or a position having such power or right.
How can I hear “authority” used in real sentences?
This page has 13109 real-world video examples of “authority” 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 “authority”?
Many learners substitute "th" with "s", "z", "t", or "d". Place the flat blade of your tongue lightly between your upper and lower incisors. Blow air gently without vocal chord vibration to produce the unvoiced ⁄θ⁄ sound.