English pronunciation · Words Starting with W

Wilderness Pronunciation

Wilderness is pronounced WIL-der-nuhs, IPA /ˈwɪldɝnəs/.

WIL-der-nuhs

US /ˈwɪldɝnəs/  ·  UK /ˈwɪldənəs/

Syllables: WIL · der · nuhs (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)

noun: Land that has been left wild and unfarmed.

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Wilderness in a Sentence

  • Half the park is protected wilderness.
  • They spent a fortnight in the wilderness north of the lake.
  • After the election he went into the political wilderness.

Common Mispronunciations of Wilderness

Not WY-ld-er-nis

Clip the opening vowel even though wild is long. Adding the ending shortens it, the same way wise becomes wisdom.

Not wil-der-NES

Lead with the loudest syllable, WIL, and let the rest fall away. The ness at the end is just a suffix and never takes the beat.

Tip: Three syllables beginning like will, not like wild: WIL-der-nuhs.

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