5 syllables: Im, per, me, a, ble. Stress on per.
im-PUR-mee-uh-buhl
/ɪmˈpɝ.miː.ə.bəl/
Impermeable is pronounced im-PUR-mee-uh-buhl (/ɪmˈpɝ.miː.ə.bəl/). It has five syllables (Im-per-me-a-ble), with the stress on "per". Impermeable is an adjective describing something that does not allow liquids or gases to pass through; it also metaphorically means something that cannot be penetrated or altered. The term is often used in contexts like materials, coatings, and barriers, and it implies a high degree of resistance to permeability. In pronunciation, the stress falls on the second syllable: im-per-MEA-ble or im-per-ME-ble depending on rhythm.
adjectiveImpermeable is an adjective describing something that does not allow liquids or gases to pass through; it also metaphorically means something that cannot be penetrated or altered. The term is often used in contexts like materials, coatings, and barriers, and it implies a high degree of resistance to permeability. In pronunciation, the stress falls on the second syllable: im-per-MEA-ble or im-per-ME-ble depending on rhythm.
"The raincoat is impermeable to water, keeping you dry in a downpour."
"They tested the walls with dye to ensure they were impermeable to moisture."
"The pipe has an impermeable coating to prevent leakage."
Pronounce as /ˌɪm.pərˈmiː.ə.bəl/ (US) with primary stress on MEA syllable: im-per-MEA-ble. UK pronunciation /ˌɪm.pəˈmiː.ə.bəl/ is similar; AU follows US patterns. Break it into three parts: im- (short I, schwa or reduced /ɪm/), per- (pehr with a soft r), meable (MEA-ble with a long 'ee' vowel). Listen for the syllable with long /iː/ in the third syllable to anchor the stress.
Common errors: 1) Stress misplacement, saying im-per- 'IM-per-mea-ble' instead of placing primary stress on the third syllable. 2) Vowel quality in the MEA- part: use a clear /iː/ rather than a short /ɪ/ or a lax diphthong. 3) Final -ble cluster misarticulation: ensure /bəl/ rather than /bl/ or /bəl/ with a muted vowel. Correct by isolating the MEA- syllable and practicing with minimal pairs like ‘meable’ vs ‘mable’, counting syllables to reinforce the third-stress pattern.
US: /ˌɪm.pərˈmiː.ə.bəl/ with /ɚ/ rhoticity and a clear /iː/ in MEA-. UK: /ˌɪm.pəˈmiː.ə.bəl/ may have a shorter first vowel and less rhoticity, while the second syllable /pə/ is often schwa. AU: similar to US, but can show slightly broader vowels and non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers; some may reduce the final syllable to /bəl/ with less emphasis on the final -ble. For all, the MEA- syllable carries primary stress.
It poses challenges in multi-syllabic stress placement and vowel sequencing. The third syllable carries primary stress on MEA-, requiring a long /iː/ sound and a crisp /bəl/ ending. The combination of /ɪm/ at start, a mid-central /pər/ or /pə/ second syllable, and the final /ˈmiː.ə.bəl/ can be tricky for non-native ears, especially when trying to keep the schwa in the middle syllable and a clear long /iː/ for MEA-. Practice with slowed speed to anchor the rhythm and stress.
A word-specific note: the sequence -pe- in impermeable is often realized with a bilabial plosive /p/ followed by /ər/ in many dialects, not a separate /p/ and /r/ cluster. Pay attention to the /ər/ as a reduced syllable rather than a full ‘er’ sound, which helps prevent over-emphasizing the middle syllable. In connected speech, the transition from /m/ to /p/ should be smooth, keeping the tongue near the alveolar ridge for a clean /p/ release.
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Impermeable comes from the combination of the prefix im- (a variant of in- meaning not) + per- (through) + meable (from Latin fābilis, via French -meable, related to -mable in permeable) via Old French impermeable and Medieval Latin impermeābilis. The base element perme- derives from Latin permeare, meaning to pass through. The suffix -ble is a common English-forming suffix meaning able to be, yielding “unable to be passed through.” The word first appeared in English in the 16th or 17th century in scientific and technical discourse to describe materials and membranes that do not allow liquids or gases to traverse. Over time, it has broadened to describe abstract resistance to penetration or influence. The phonetic form solidified as /ˌɪm.pərˈmiː.ə.bəl/ in US English, with variations in stress and vowel quality across dialects; UK and AU pronunciations align closely but may differ in rhoticity and the realization of the final syllable. Modern usage remains consistent in technical literature and consumer descriptions for waterproof or airtight properties, as well as metaphorical usage in arguments or policies that are described as impermeable to change.
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Words that rhyme with "Impermeable"
-ble sounds
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