English pronunciation · Words Starting with A
Anniversary Pronunciation
Anniversary is pronounced a-nuh-VUR-ser-ee, IPA /ˌænəˈvɝsɝi/.
a-nuh-VUR-ser-ee
US /ˌænəˈvɝsɝi/ · UK /ˌænɪˈvɜːsəˌri/
Syllables: a · nuh · VUR · ser · ee (5 syllables, stress on syllable 3)
noun: The yearly return of the date on which something happened.
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Anniversary in a Sentence
- Their fortieth anniversary falls on a Tuesday.
- The museum marks the anniversary with a free concert.
- He forgot the anniversary two years running.
Common Mispronunciations of Anniversary
Not a-NI-ver-suh-ree
VUR is the peak, the third of five beats, and the two in front of it are both light. The related word anniversaries behaves the same way.
Not a-nuh-VUR-sa-ree
Nothing after the peak holds a full vowel. The sary ending flattens to ser-ee, which is how the word keeps its speed.
Tip: British speech often squeezes the ending to three letters of sound, a-ni-VUR-sree, losing a beat altogether.
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