Brother is a masculine noun for a male sibling. It can also function metaphorically to denote a close male ally or fellow member, as in 'brother in arms.' The word combines familial sense with informal, sometimes affectionate address. In phonology, it is typically pronounced as a single, unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, producing a compact, syllabic rhythm in connected speech.
"My brother is visiting this weekend."
"We’re organizing a brothers’ night out."
"He’s the last person you’d expect to help, but he’s a true brother in troubles."
"In some cultures, 'brother' doubles as a respectful address to a man you admire."
Brother originates from Old English brōþor, from Proto-Germanic *brōðer, related to Old High German brūder, Dutch broer, and Sanskrit bhrātṛ. The root carries the sense of kin or male sibling. In Proto-Indo-European terms, the root is reconstructed as *bʰréh₂tēr, indicating a deep familial bond across languages. The word Semitic and Slavic cousins show parallel family terms, reflecting the universal social importance of brotherhood. In Middle English, spellings varied (broþer, brothir) and pronunciation featured a more distinct r-colored vowel progression. By the Early Modern English period, the form settled into the modern Brother, with the orthographic shift aligning with changes in vowel pronunciation and the Great Vowel Shift’s tail effects. The semantic extension to “fellow man” and metaphorical uses appears in the English-speaking world by the 16th–17th centuries, reinforced by literature and religious texts emphasizing kinship and solidarity.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "brother" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "brother" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "brother"
-her sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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You pronounce it as /ˈbrʌðər/ in US and many other varieties; the first syllable carries the primary stress. The /ʌ/ is the short, relaxed vowel as in 'strut.' The /ð/ is the voiced dental fricative (like 'this'), followed by a schwa-like /ə/ in many speech contexts. In careful speech, you can hear the two-syllable rhythm; in faster speech, it often sounds like a quick /ˈbrəðər/ with a reduced second vowel. Voice softly, and ensure the tongue lightly contacts the upper teeth for /ð/.
Common errors: (1) Replacing /ð/ with /d/ or /t/, which makes it sound like 'brudder' or 'brutter'; keep the dental fricative by placing the tongue tip gently between teeth. (2) Overpronouncing the second syllable or turning /ər/ into /ɜːr/; aim for a quick, relaxed /ər/ or /ə/ depending on accent. (3) Dropping the /r/ in non-rhotic accents or over-emphasizing it; in US you’ll hear an audible rhotic close to /ɹ/ in most contexts, UK typically reduces to /ə/ or /ə/ in final position. Practice with minimal pairs to lock the sounds.
In US English, /ˈbrʌðər/ with a pronounced /ɹ/ and a clear /ð/. UK English tends toward /ˈbrʌðə/ with a shorter, less rhotic final vowel; some accents may reduce /ər/ to /ə/. Australian English is similar to UK but often with vowel shortening and a non-stroking /ɹ/ in final position; you may hear /ˈbrʌðə/ with a lighter /ɹ/ and a more centralized vowel in the second syllable. Across all, the key is the /ð/ dental fricative and the rhyming with /-ʌðə/ or /-ər/ endings depending on the accent.
The main challenge is the /ð/ sound, a voiced dental fricative produced with the tongue against the upper teeth; many learners substitute /d/ or /z/. The second syllable /-ər/ involves a schwa or reduced vowel that can be tricky in fast speech. Additionally, English rhythm places primary stress on the first syllable, but connected speech often reduces the second syllable, which can obscure the /ˌbrʌðəɹ/ pattern in casual talk.
No, there are no silent letters in the standard pronunciation of 'Brother.' All letters—b, r, o, t, h, e, r—contribute to the spoken form, though the vowels in the second syllable are reduced in casual speech. The tricky aspects are the voiced /ð/ and the rhotic /r/ in rhotic varieties, not silence.
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