English pronunciation · Words Starting with A
Awful Pronunciation
Awful is pronounced AH-fuhl, IPA /ˈɑfəl/.
AH-fuhl
US /ˈɑfəl/ · UK /ˈɔːfəl/
Syllables: AH · fuhl (2 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective: Of very poor quality, or thoroughly unpleasant to endure.
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Awful in a Sentence
- The weather was awful all week.
- She has an awful cold.
- That is an awful lot of paperwork for one form.
Common Mispronunciations of Awful
Not AW-fool
Careful and useful wear their ful down to a weak fuhl, and this word is no exception.
Not OF-uhl
Offal is a different word with a short o, and the vowel here is long on both sides of the Atlantic.
Tip: Awful once meant full of awe, which is how it and awesome started as near twins and ended as opposites.
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