4 syllables: Au, to, mo, bile. Stress on Au.
AW-tuh-moh-beel
/ˈɔtəmoʊˌbil/
Automobile is pronounced AW-tuh-moh-beel (/ˈɔtəmoʊˌbil/). It has four syllables (Au-to-mo-bile), with the stress on "Au". Automobile is a noun meaning a self-propelled road vehicle designed for carrying passengers. It typically refers to a four-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine or electric motor. The term emphasizes private transport rather than public conveyance or machinery used for specialization.
nounAutomobile is a noun meaning a self-propelled road vehicle designed for carrying passengers. It typically refers to a four-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine or electric motor. The term emphasizes private transport rather than public conveyance or machinery used for specialization.
To fix: 1) stress the first syllable, 2) articulate the mid vowel clearly with a long diphthong, 3) end with a precise /l/ without vowel intrusion.
How to Pronounce Automobile
"I bought a new automobile last weekend and drove it across town."
"The automobile industry has shifted toward electric models in the past decade."
"She argued that the automobile should be taxed more heavily to curb emissions."
Pronounce as /ˈɔː.təˌmoʊ.biːl/ (US) or /ˈɔː.təˌməʊ.bɪl/ (UK). The primary stress is on the first syllable: 'AU-to-mo-bile' with a light 'to' and a slow, clear 'mo-bile'. The 'moʊ' or 'məʊ' is a subtle long vowel in the second half, and the final 'biːl' sounds like 'beel'. You’ll hear the 'auto-' prefix leading into a crisp 'mo' and a trailing 'bil'. Audio references: try pronunciation videos linked by major dictionaries or pronunciation tutorials.
Common errors include: misplacing the primary stress as on the second syllable (a-TO-mo-bile) and slurring the final 'bil' into a 'bəl' or 'beal'. Another frequent error is pronouncing the 'mo' with a short vowel like 'mo' in 'mow' instead of the clean /ˈmoʊ/ or /ˈmoʊ/; and dropping the 'l' in the last syllable, producing 'be' or 'beel' without the final l. To correct: emphasize the first syllable, ensure the 'mo' carries a long vowel, and articulate the final 'l' clearly as /l/.
In US pronunciation, you have /ˈɔː.təˌmoʊ.biːl/ with a rhotic vowel in some dialects and a clear long /oʊ/ in 'mo'. UK English often uses /ˈɔː.təˌməʊ.bəl/ or /ˈɔː.təˌmoʊ.bɪl/ with more centralized or reduced final syllable; Australian tends toward /ˈɔː.təˌmæɪ.bɪl/ or similar depending on speaker, with less rhoticity and a clipped final /əl/ or /l/ depending on speaker. The main differences lie in the vowel quality of 'mo' (/moʊ/ US vs /məʊ/ UK) and the final syllable vowel and rhoticity tendency.
The difficulty often lies in managing a four-syllable word with a long vowel in the third syllable and a final light consonant cluster. The stress pattern (first syllable strong, followed by lighter syllables) can be tricky in connected speech, and the 'mo' vowel requires a clear American /oʊ/ or British /oʊ/ diphthong, not a monophthong. Additionally, in some dialects the final 'ble' can reduce to /bəl/ or /bil/, which can subtly alter intelligibility. Practicing precise vowel length and final /l/ helps.
A unique aspect is the four-syllable rhythm with strong first stress and a clear mid-vowel sequence; for SEO, users might search for 'how to pronounce automobile' or 'automobile IPA' and expect details about the long-vowel in the third syllable and the final 'ble' pronunciation. Including both /ˈɔː.təˌmoʊ.biːl/ and /ˈɔː.təˌməʊ.bɪl/ helps capture US/UK searches, while noting optional /l/ vs /əl/ endings aligns with some accents. This specificity improves accuracy in pronunciation guides.
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US: Emphasize rhoticity lightly in the first syllable and maintain a clear /oʊ/ in the third syllable; UK: softer /əʊ/ in the second half and a more clipped final /l/; AU: tends toward a flatter /æ/ in some speakers, but keep the /ˈɔː/ start and the /moʊ/ or /məʊ/ depending on region. IPA notes: /ˈɔː.təˌmoʊ.biːl/ (US), /ˈɔː.təˌməʊ.bəl/ (UK), /ˈɔː.təˌmoː.bɪl/ (AU). Key differences: rhoticity, vowel quality in 'mo', and final consonant treatment. - Practice with tongue position: front-lip rounding for /ɔː/; mid-central /ə/ in the second syllable; glide into /moʊ/ or /məʊ/ for the third. - Use minimal pairs contrasting /biːl/ vs /bəl/.
Automobile derives from the French word automo-bile, ultimately from the Greek prefix auto- meaning ‘self’ and the Latin 'mobilis' meaning ‘movable’. The term emerged in the early 19th century in the context of steam carriages and early motorized conveyances. By the late 19th century, 'automobile' was established in English to distinguish self-propelled road vehicles from horse-drawn carriages and tramways. The word consolidates into common use as internal-combustion and electric vehicles expanded, with 'automobile' carrying a slightly more formal or historical connotation in some dialects, while 'car' became the everyday term. First known uses can be traced to scientific and engineering literature in the 1860s–1880s, gaining popularity as manufacturers and enthusiasts discussed self-propelled mobility.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Automobile" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Automobile"
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