How to pronounce "yizkor" in English
ˈjɪzkəɹ
YIZ·kər
Primary stress: YIZ
Hear native speakers say yizkor in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “yizkor”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
YIZ
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
kər
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("YIZ"). 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 "yizkor" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "yizkor is" sounds like "yizkor-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "yizkor" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“Take a moment to think of the words of loss in your faith perhaps the Yizkor or the Salat al-Janazah.”— StanfordWatch clip
“So as Judy talked about, it's a Yizkor book.”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
Practice Speaking “yizkor”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
Take a moment to think of the words of loss in your faith perhaps the Yizkor or the Salat al-Janazah.
Hear it in context: “yizkor”
2 clipsThe English word “yizkor” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈjɪzkəɹ (phonetic respelling: YIZ-kər). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (YIZ · kər), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (YIZ). Grammatically, “yizkor” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 2 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “yizkor” in natural connected speech across American (US: 2 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Stanford, Harvard University.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (2 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #1 · @65:04
“in the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church. Take a moment to think of the words of loss in your faith perhaps the Yizkor or the Salat al-Janazah. in your faith perhaps the Yizkor or the Salat al-Janazah.”
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #2 · @24:06
“And so I wanted to describe it a little bit. So as Judy talked about, it's a Yizkor book. It's a memorial book.”
Definition & Meaning: “yizkor”
- An Ashkenazi memorial prayer service for the dead.
Example Sentences (3)
- “a yizkor book; a yizkor sermon”
- “Take a moment to think of the words of loss in your faith perhaps the Yizkor or the Salat al-Janazah.”
- “So as Judy talked about, it's a Yizkor book.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “yizkor”
- Pronunciation:
- YIZ-kər
- Syllables:
- YIZ · kər
- Written Hyphenation:
- yiz · kor
- Primary stress:
- YIZ
- IPA:
- ˈjɪzkəɹ
- Hear it in context
- yizkor
Words that Rhyme with “yizkor”
-ɪzkərWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"yizkor" (⁄ˈjɪzkəɹ⁄) 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, "yizkor" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about yizkor
How do you pronounce “yizkor”?
“yizkor” is pronounced ⁄ˈjɪzkəɹ⁄ (YIZ-kər). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “yizkor”?
“yizkor” has 2 syllables: YIZ · kər.
Where is the stress in “yizkor”?
The primary stress in “yizkor” is on “YIZ”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “yizkor” mean?
An Ashkenazi memorial prayer service for the dead.
How can I hear “yizkor” used in real sentences?
This page has 2 real-world video examples of “yizkor” 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 “yizkor”?
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⁄).