2 syllables: Fea, ther. Stress on Fea.
FETH-ur
/ˈfɛðɚ/
Feather is pronounced FETH-ur (/ˈfɛðɚ/). It has two syllables (Fea-ther), with the stress on "Fea". Feather is a lightweight, plumed covering of a bird, often used metaphorically to describe softness or lightness. In everyday English, it denotes the fluffy exterior of birds, and appears in expressions like 'feather in one's cap' or 'light as a feather.' The noun can also refer to a decorative ornament or a financial unit in some contexts. 2-4 sentences summarize its physical feature and figurative uses in clear terms.
nounFeather is a lightweight, plumed covering of a bird, often used metaphorically to describe softness or lightness. In everyday English, it denotes the fluffy exterior of birds, and appears in expressions like 'feather in one's cap' or 'light as a feather.' The noun can also refer to a decorative ornament or a financial unit in some contexts. 2-4 sentences summarize its physical feature and figurative uses in clear terms.
- Underarticulating /ð/ by replacing it with /d/ or /t/; fix by placing tongue between teeth and blowing slightly through the mouth as you voice. - Overemphasizing the second syllable; keep /ə/ or /ər/ short and unstressed to mimic natural rhythm. - Dropping the final rhotic /r/ in American pronunciation; ensure a quick 'er' sound rather than a silent or 'uh' finish. - Neglecting lip relaxation; keep jaw loose and lips relaxed to avoid stiffness when transitioning from /f/ to /ð/ to /ər/. - Mixing up vowel length; practice with minimal pairs to lock in /ɛ/ vs. /e/ contrasts in stressed syllable.
Tip: Practice with a mirror, focusing on the place of articulation for /f/ (lips engaged, teeth near the lower lip), /ð/ (tongue lightly between teeth), and the relaxed schwa to /ɚ/ glide. Record yourself and compare with native samples to catch soft vs. clipped endings.
How to Pronounce Feather
"The bird’s feathers shimmer in the sunlight."
"She brushed a feather from her sleeve and looked surprised."
"His hat had a bright feather as a decorative touch."
Feather is /ˈfɛðər/ in US English and /ˈfɛðə/ in UK English (non-rhotic). The first syllable has stressed /ɛ/ as in 'bed,' then a voiced interdental /ð/ like 'this,' followed by a schwa or muted 'er' depending on accent. Your mouth should start with a light f-lip seal and a relaxed jaw for /f/, then the dental /ð/ with the tongue between teeth, and finally a short schwa or 'ə' before the final 'r' in US. Practicing with slow repetition helps solidify the position of the interdental fricative and the vowel quality.
Common mistakes include over-pronouncing the /ð/ as a hard /d/ or /t/, and reducing the second syllable too much so it sounds like 'fee-ther' or 'feath-uh.' To correct, place the tip of the tongue gently between the upper and lower teeth for /ð/ and let the /ə/ be a quick, soft vowel before the rhotic /r/ in US: /ˈfɛðər/. In British English, the final /ɜː/ or /ə/ can be very light, almost silent, so aim for a soft ending. Keep your lips relaxed and avoid tensing the jaw.
In US English, feather is /ˈfɛðər/ with a pronounced rhotic /r/ and a clear /ɚ/ or /ə/. In UK English (Received Pronunciation), it’s /ˈfeðə/ with a weaker or non-rhotic ending and a short /ə/ vowel. Australian speakers often use /ˈfeðə/ similar to UK, but vowels may be broader, and the ending can be more centralized; some varieties might reduce the final syllable slightly more. Across all, the key features are the /f/ onset, the dental /ð/, and the unstressed second syllable, with slight rhotic variation in American speech.
The challenge centers on the interdental /ð/ in the middle and the fast transition from /f/ to /ð/ to /ər/ in American speech. The /ð/ is produced with the tongue between the teeth, which many learners find unfamiliar. The final syllable includes a reduced vowel that can blur into a vowel like /ə/ or /ɜ/ depending on accent. Additionally, the subtle rhoticity in American English requires tongue retraction and precise lip rounding around the /ər/ sequence. Practice aligning the tongue blade with the upper teeth while maintaining airflow for /ð/ and then a clean /ər/.
Focus on the interdental /ð/ in the middle; the tongue should stay softly between the teeth, not touching the back teeth. The final sound in American English is a rhotacized schwa /ər/, so gently curl the tip of the tongue toward the alveolar ridge without gripping. Use a light, quick release from /ð/ to /ər/ rather than a hard stop. Visualize the mouth as producing a quick bite between teeth, then smoothly glide into the end vowel. This helps you avoid a clipped or muffled ending.
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- US: emphasize rhotic /ɹ/ ending; keep /ər/ as a quick, slightly vibrating nucleus. IPA: /ˈfɛɾɚ/ or /ˈfɛðɚ/ depending on speaker. - UK: non-rhotic tendency; final syllable may be reduced to /ə/ or /ə/ with a lighter /ð/; IPA: /ˈfeðə/ or /ˈfeðə/. - AU: tends toward a non-rhotic, more centralized vowel in the second syllable; final /ə/ is common; IPA: /ˈfeðə/. - Common vowel shifts: /ɛ/ in stressed first syllable can vary toward /eɪ/ in some American dialects; keep steady /ɛ/ for accuracy. - IPA references: remember /f/ is labiodental, /ð/ is interdental, /ə/ is schwa, /ɚ/ rhotacized schwa in US. - Tips: relax the jaw, keep the mouth in a neutral, open position for the /ð/ sound, and avoid tensing the tongue tip. For non-rhotic speakers, ensure the /r/ is less prominent in UK/AU, while US speakers can lightly curl the tongue for a subtle rhotic color.
Feather comes from Old English feader, related to Dutch veren and German Feder, all from Proto-Germanic *fadrą, from the Proto-Indo-European root *pād- meaning ‘feather, leaf’ or ‘to weave, plait.’ Early usage in Old English described the plumage of birds and later extended metaphorically to mean ornament or pride (as in feathering one’s cap). The word bore semantic links to clothing and adornment, evolving through Middle English with tweaks in spelling but preserving core sense of lightness and decorative plumage. In broader Germanic languages, cognates reinforce the notion of a light, airy covering. First known uses appear in medieval texts discussing birds’ plumage and adornments, with later literature employing feather for ceremonial headdress, quills for writing, and as a metaphor for merit or achievement. Over centuries, the word broadened to include brand-new figurative meanings, while the physical feather remains the primary referent in modern usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Feather" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Feather"
-her sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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