3 syllables: fur, ther, more. Stress on fur.
FUR-thur-mawr
/ˈfɝðɚˌmɔɹ/
furthermore is pronounced FUR-thur-mawr (/ˈfɝðɚˌmɔɹ/). It has three syllables (fur-ther-more), with the stress on "fur". Furthermore is a connective adverb used to add information that reinforces or expands upon a previous point. It signals continuation and emphasis, often introducing a stronger or more comprehensive claim. In everyday use, it tends to be formal or slightly elevated, functioning to build or extend an argument or explanation.
Furthermore is a connective adverb used to add information that reinforces or expands upon a previous point. It signals continuation and emphasis, often introducing a stronger or more comprehensive claim. In everyday use, it tends to be formal or slightly elevated, functioning to build or extend an argument or explanation.
- You might stress the wrong syllable (claiming fu-THER-more). Correct by keeping primary stress on the first syllable: FUR-ther-more. - The /ð/ sound can be softened to /d/ or omitted in rapid speech; ensure you articulate /ð/ clearly, tongue between teeth. - The transition between /ðər/ and /mɔː/ can feel abrupt; practice smooth linking with a light, continuous mouth movement. - Avoid overly elongated final /ɔː/ in rapid speech; keep a controlled vowel length to maintain rhythm.
"The project was complex; furthermore, it required a longer timeline than initially anticipated."
"She is an excellent student, and furthermore, she volunteers weekly at the local shelter."
"The policy is expensive; furthermore, its implementation would be burdensome for small businesses."
Pronounce it as /ˈfɜːðərˌmɔːr/ in US, /ˈfɜːðəˌmɔː/ in UK. Primary stress on the first syllable: FUR-ther- more. The /ð/ is the voiced dental fricative as in 'this'; the second syllable reduces to /ðər/ in many accents, and -more ends with a long /ɔː/ in broad speech. Think: fur-THERM-ore with a light roll into the final /ɔː/. Practice by saying “fur-th-ER-mor” with clear dh sound then glide to the final /ɔː/. Audio examples: Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries online listeners can hear the subtle American rhotic link.” ,
Common errors include misplacing stress (saying fu-THER-more) and softening the /ð/ into /d/ or /z/. Another frequent slip is not linking the /ðər/ to /mɔː/, producing a choppy three-syllable rhythm. To correct: keep primary stress on the first syllable, pronounce /ð/ clearly, and glide smoothly from /ðər/ into /mɔː/ without a hard pause. Practice with minimal pairs and slow tempo to establish the correct rhythm.”
In US English, expect a pronounced rhotic /r/ linking into the final /mɔː/. UK speakers may reduce the final vowel slightly to /ɔː/ with less rhotic involvement depending on region, and the /ɜː/ in the first syllable is less tense. Australian English often has a broader vowel quality, with a slightly longer final /ɔː/ and a softer /ð/; some speakers may reduce the middle syllable slightly. Across all, primary stress remains on the first syllable, but rhythm and vowel length vary.
The challenges lie in the sequence of sounds: initial /fɜːr/ requires a tense mid-back vowel with a rhotic onset, the /ðər/ involves the delicate dental fricative /ð/ and a quick schwa-like reduction, and the final /mɔː/ demands a rounded back vowel with sustained lip rounding. Coordinating three syllables with steady stress and smooth linking can be tricky in fast speech, making careful articulation and tempo control essential.
A distinctive feature is the rapid transition from the stressed first syllable into the unstressed mid and final syllables, creating a subtle secondary stress that helps the word flow in formal speech. The /ð/ in /ðər/ must stay audible and avoid becoming a soft /d/; maintaining this dental-fricative clarity is critical for intelligibility, especially in connected phrases like 'furthermore, and'.
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- US: rhotic linking to the following word; keep /ɜːr/ clear before /mɔː/. /ˈfɜːr.ðɚ.mɔːr/; place stronger lip rounding on the final /ɔː/. - UK: non-rhotic tendency; the /r/ may be silent or weakened before a consonant; ensure /ðər/ remains clearly dental. /ˈfɜːðə.mɔː/ with a shorter middle vowel. - AU: similar to UK but often with broader vowel qualities; keep the middle /ə/ reduced but audible; final /ɔː/ can be longer. Reference IPA: US /ˈfɜːr.ðɚˌmɔːr/; UK /ˈfɜːðəˌmɔː/; AU /ˈfəː.ðəˌmɔː/.
The word furthermore originates in Middle English as a combination of the adverb furthermore, derived from the phrase ‘more over,’ which itself is a variant of more over, meaning ‘more over’ or ‘in addition.’ The modern form emerged in Early Modern English, aligning with other sentence-initial connectives like moreover and furthermore. The semantic core has always been additive or reinforcing: it marks that what follows adds weight to the prior clause. The first attested uses show up in legal and scholarly writings, where the need to formally extend an argument or enumerate supporting points was common. By the 16th to 18th centuries, the fused form furthermore became standard in more formal registers, preserving its role as a high-level transitional adverb. Over time, pronunciation stabilized, with stress typically on the second syllable (fur-ther-MORE) in many dialects, though some speakers distribute the stress more evenly. The word’s prefix fur- carries the sense of ‘forward’ or ‘more’ in combination with the evaluative suffix -ther, culminating in an emphatic, cumulative linking device in discourse.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "furthermore" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "furthermore"
-der sounds
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