English pronunciation · Words Starting with F
Fertile Pronunciation
Fertile is pronounced FUR-tuhl, IPA /ˈfɝtəl/.
FUR-tuhl
US /ˈfɝtəl/ · UK /ˈfɜːtaɪl/
Syllables: FUR · tuhl (2 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective: Able to produce crops, young, or ideas in abundance.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
Two Ways to Say Fertile
The pronunciation changes with the meaning or the part of speech. The form above is the most common; the others are:
- the rhymes-with-turnstile reading, standard in Britain: /fɝˈtaɪl/ (fer-TYL)
Fertile in a Sentence
- The valley floor is the most fertile land in the district.
- Those years in Vienna were a fertile period for him.
- Warm, wet ground makes fertile conditions for mould.
Common Mispronunciations of Fertile
Not fer-TYL
American English gives this word a weak second syllable, so the beat stays on fer and the ending sounds like turtle. The British reading does end in a clear tile, which is why both are heard.
Not FEER-tuhl
The er is the vowel of her and bird, not the ear of fear. Keep the tongue flat and central.
Tip: Two syllables, weight at the front in both countries. Only the second vowel changes: FUR-tuhl in the United States, FUR-tyl in Britain.
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