How to pronounce "undesirables" in English
un·de·SI·ra·bles
Primary stress: si
Hear native speakers say undesirables in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “undesirables”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
un
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
de
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
SI
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
ra
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
bles
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the third syllable ("SI"). 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 "undesirables" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "undesirables is" sounds like "undesirables-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "undesirables" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“several things one was the desire to shut the door on undesirables particularly from southern europe italians”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“So, towns throughout Europe closed themselves to outsiders, and inside the towns undesirables might be rounded up”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“and discouraging undesirables from reproducing, sometimes through forced sterilizations.”— Khan AcademyWatch clip
“Those desirables or those undesirables?”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“And now the expansion of the financial district in the in the 1960s deemed them undesirables.”— StanfordWatch clip
“this wasn't the only time poison guns were used to rid Communist governments of undesirables in the late 1950s the”— Simple HistoryWatch clip
Practice Speaking “undesirables”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
several things one was the desire to shut the door on undesirables particularly from southern europe italians
Hear it in context: “undesirables”
24 clipsThe English word “undesirables”. Phonologically, it consists of 5 syllables (un · de · si · ra · bles), with primary lexical stress placed on the 3rd syllable (si). Grammatically, “undesirables” functions as a adjective, noun. SayItVid indexes 24 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “undesirables” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Harvard University, YaleCourses, Khan Academy.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #1 · @7:22
“because the 1924 act was designed to restrict immigration it was a product of several things one was the desire to shut the door on undesirables particularly from southern europe italians particularly from southern europe italians”
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #2 · @14:46
“the punishment they deserved for their secret sins. So, towns throughout Europe closed themselves to outsiders, and inside the towns undesirables might be rounded up and inside the towns undesirables might be rounded up”
- 🇺🇸 USKhan AcademyClip #3 · @6:26
“by encouraging native white women to have more babies, and discouraging undesirables from reproducing, sometimes through forced sterilizations. sometimes through forced sterilizations.”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #4 · @10:47
“even reach Greece or Italy are points of question. Can I help them? Those desirables or those undesirables? Am I able to offer them aid? And can you imagine that that's the”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #5 · @1:46
“white women at the in an age of Asian exclusion, unable to return home because of the upheavals there. And now the expansion of the financial district in the in the 1960s deemed them undesirables. This is an district in the in the 1960s deemed them undesirables. This is an”
Definition & Meaning: “undesirables”
- Not desirable, objectionable or not likely to please.
- An undesirable person.
Example Sentences (3)
- “There would be no need for any of the animals to come in contact with human beings, which would clearly be most undesirable.”
- “Barskiven Road was The Undesirables. Bad corporation tenants (didn't pay their rents, didn't dig their gardens, let their kids smash up windows) were transferred to The Undesirables until they showed they'd improved. His mother called them scum. Barskiven Road houses had all-metal fittings. Only the window panes could be broken, unless you had a blow-torch. McCann said they'd have them, soon. At the dancing blokes always made jokes if they knew a dame was from The Undesirables. It was supposed to be the worst street in the whole of Kilcaddie.”
- “several things one was the desire to shut the door on undesirables particularly from southern europe italians”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “undesirables”
- Syllables:
- un · de · si · ra · bles
- Primary stress:
- si
- Hear it in context
- undesirables
Synonyms: “undesirables”
Hear words related in meaning to “undesirables” in real video clips:
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"undesirables" 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, "undesirables" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about undesirables
How many syllables are in “undesirables”?
“undesirables” has 5 syllables: un · de · si · ra · bles.
Where is the stress in “undesirables”?
The primary stress in “undesirables” is on “SI”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “undesirables” mean?
Not desirable, objectionable or not likely to please.
How can I hear “undesirables” used in real sentences?
This page has 24 real-world video examples of “undesirables” 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 “undesirables”?
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⁄).