Humour (or humor) is the quality of being amusing or entertaining, or something that evokes laughter. As a noun, it can refer to a person's sense of wit or to physical/visual comedy; as a form of entertainment, it encompasses jokes, satire, and comedic acts. In British usage, humour also denotes amusing content or the state of being funny in a social context. The term originates from the Latin humor and entered English via Old French, evolving to include both wit and mood-related meanings.
- Consistently mispronouncing the initial /h/ or dropping it entirely; ensure you vocalize the /h/ as a light breath at the start. - Misplacing stress or softening the first syllable; keep primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈhjuː.mə/ or /ˈhjuː.mɚ/ with a clear /ˈh/ onset. - Vowel confusion in /juː/: treat /juː/ as a single glide that resembles ‘you’ plus a short y-glide; avoid turning it into a simple /uː/ or /ju/. - Final vowel reduction: avoid over-pronouncing /ə/ or turning it into /ɜː/; in rapid speech, keep it as a subtle schwa; US speakers may produce /ɚ/. - Linking mistakes: in natural speech, you’ll often link to next word; practice clean boundaries to preserve the three-phoneme unit.
- US: final /ɚ/ is rhotically colored; keep the tongue relaxed but not dragged; the /ɚ/ is a mid-central vowel with r-coloring. - UK/AU: final vowel more lax; end with a schwa /ə/ that’s quick and soft; avoid trailing r if non-rhotic. - Vowel quality: /juː/ remains long and rounded; keep lips rounded slightly, jaw relatively closed; ensure you don’t reduce /juː/ to /uː/. - Consonant nuance: ensure /h/ is aspirated but light; after /h/ the /j/ should glide into /juː/ without combining with the next consonant. - IPA references: US /ˈhjuː.mɚ/, UK /ˈhjuː.mə/, AU /ˈhjuː.mə/; practice slow and then speed.
"Her humour lightened the tense room and made everyone smile."
"Dark humour can be a coping mechanism in tough situations."
"He has a quick sense of humour and always finds a playful angle in problems."
"British cartoons rely on understated humour and irony more than direct punchlines."
Humour traces to Middle English humor, from Old French humeur, from Latin humor, meaning moisture, fluid, or mood. The ancient medical theory of the four humors (blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile) informed how temperament and health were understood; this sense influenced the modern notion of a person’s mood or character and, later, what makes things funny. The word’s sense of “mood, temperament” appears in English by the 14th century, with “humour” as a synonym for wit or jest by the 16th century. By the 18th–19th centuries, humour shifted toward “comedic effect” and “nonsense,” while “humor” in American English began to align with the general sense of amusement and wit. In contemporary usage, “humour” emphasizes wit, satire, and the socially shared experience of laughter, though the medical/mood origins remain echoed in phrases like “keeping one’s sense of humour.” First known use in English appears in the 13th–14th centuries, with robust development in Early Modern English during Shakespeare’s era and the rise of printed satire.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Humour" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Humour" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Humour" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Humour"
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounce as /ˈhjuː.mə/ in UK/AU and /ˈhjuː.mɚ/ in US. The first syllable carries primary stress, starting with /h/ followed by a long /juː/ as in 'you,' then a reduced second syllable /mə/ or /mɚ/. Mouth position: start with a light breathy /h/, raise the tongue to create /j/ after the /h/ and glide into /juː/; finish with a schwa-like /ə/ or rhotic /ɚ/ depending on accent. Try linking the /r/ softly if you’re aiming for US non-rhotic influence in careful speech.
Common errors include flattening the vowel in the first syllable (say /hjuː/ instead of /hjuː/ with proper length) and misplacing the second syllable’s schwa. Some speakers mispronounce as /ˈhuː.mɔː/ or /ˈhjuː.mɜː/ by confusing /juː/ with /ju/ or omitting the /j/ sound. The correction is to clearly articulate the /j/ after /h/ to form /hj/ and maintain the long /juː/ vowel, then reduce to /mə/ or /mɚ/ with a gentle, quick release.
US pronounces as /ˈhjuː.mɚ/ with rhotic /ɚ/; UK/AU use /ˈhjuː.mə/ with non-rhotic final vowel leading to a softer /ə/. The first syllable’s /juː/ remains consistent, but Americans may slightly compress the second syllable and fully articulate the rhotic vowel in careful speech. The main difference is the final vowel quality and rhoticity: rhotic in US, non-rhotic in UK/AU in rapid speech.
The word challenges English learners with the cluster /hj/ onset after /h/ and a long /juː/ sequence, followed by a reduced final syllable. The tricky part is sustaining the /j/ glide clearly while transitioning into a reduced /ə/ or /ɚ/. In rapid speech, the final syllable can reduce too much, obscuring the pronunciation. Practice with the full three-phoneme sequence and mindful mouth shaping to maintain segment integrity.
Does the spelling 'humour' influence pronunciation compared with 'humor'? No. Spelling reflects regional distinction, but the pronunciation is essentially the same in careful speech: /ˈhjuː.mə/ (UK/AU) vs /ˈhjuː.mɚ/ (US). The critical element is the final vowel quality and rhoticity, not spelling. When spelling differences arise in writing, always rely on phonetic cues rather than letter-by-letter reading.
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- Shadowing: listen to native speakers say ‘humour’ in sentences; imitate rhythm and intonation; start at slow pace, then speed up. - Minimal pairs: humour vs. tumor? not helpful; try /ˈhjuː.mər/ vs /ˈhjuː.mə/; or compare with ‘humble’ to master /m/ onset. - Rhythm practice: emphasize the first syllable; practice three-beat rhythm in phrases like ‘a sense of humour’, ‘a British sense of humour’. - Stress practice: maintain primary stress on the first syllable; practice with sentences to reinforce. - Recording: record yourself saying ‘humour’ in isolation and in sentences; compare to a model; check vowel length and final vowel quality. - Context practice: use in phrases: ‘British humour magazine,’ ‘dark humour often works.’
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