2 syllables: in, firm. Stress on firm.
/ɪˈnfɝm/
Say it backInfirm means not physically or mentally strong; weak or frail. It can describe a person who is unwell or lacking strength, or refer to an absence of certainty or confidence in a situation. The term is formal and somewhat clinical, often found in medical, legal, or literary contexts, and may imply gradual decline rather than an acute illness.
"- After years of hard labor, he became infirm and could no longer work full days."
"- The patient was too infirm to attend the ceremony."
"- Her confidence was infirm, wavering under the weight of doubt."
Pronounced in-FIRM, with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US ɪnˈfɜrm, UK ɪnˈfɜːm, AU ɪnˈfɜːm. Begin with a short, unstressed 'in' /ɪn/, then a strong, rhotic 'firm' /ˈfɜrm/ in US and AU, without a pronounced final 'r' vowel in non-rhotic UK speech; the r is not colored as strongly in RP. Mouth position: lips relaxed, neutral for the first syllable; for 'firm' bring the jaw slightly up, mouth mid-open, and lips unrounded. You’ll want a crisp /f/ followed by a mid-central vowel /ɜ/ or /ɜː/ in non-rhotic accents.
Common errors: 1) Splitting the two syllables too evenly; keep the stress on the second syllable with a quick, light first syllable. 2) Pronouncing the second syllable as /ɪm/ or /ɪrm/ with a lax /ɜː/; aim for /ɜː/ or /ɜr/ depending on accent. 3) Over-rolling the 'r' in non-rhotic accents; in British RP you often omit the final /r/ or make a weaker /ə/ color; in rhotic accents you’ll hear a clear but not exaggerated /r/. Correct versions: inˈfɜrm in US, UK, AU (with r-colored vowel in rhotic accents).
Rhotic vs non-rhotic: US and AU accents typically show rhoticity, with /ɜr/ in the second syllable, so /ɪnˈfɜrm/. UK RP tends to be non-rhotic: /ɪnˈfɜːm/, with a lengthened /ɜː/ and a weaker or near-zero /r/; the vowel is longer and slightly more centralized. Vowel quality: US often has a tighter /ɜr/; UK may lengthen the /ɜː/ and reduce the syllabic r sound. Regional blending may blur the boundary between /ɜ/ and /ɜː/.
Two challenges: the tense, mid-central /ɜ/ vowel in the second syllable is unfamiliar to learners of many languages; and the final syllable /rm/ can be tricky if your native accent tends to a silent or weakly pronounced /r/. Mastering the exact mouth shape for /ɜː/ or /ɜr/ and the subtle /r/ coloring in rhotic accents makes the word hard. Practice the steady flow: in + /ˈfɜːrm/ (non-rhotic) or /ˈfɜrm/ (rhotic) with a compact, quick transition between syllables.
Focus on the rhythm shift from the light first syllable to the strong second syllable, and the /f/ onset followed by a stressed /ɜː/ or /ɜr/ vowel. The 'in' is short and quick, the 'firm' carries the loudest energy and a slight vowel length. Ensure you don’t reduce the second syllable into /rm/ without the vowel; keep the nucleus as /ɜː/ or /ɜr/ depending on accent.
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Infirm comes from Middle English infirm, from Old French infirm (also infirmus in Latin). The Latin form infirmus meant weak, feeble, sickly, from in- (not) + firmus (strong, steady). The root firmus traces to Proto-Italic *fr_m-/*frīg- indicating firmness, with related descendants in several Romance languages preserving the sense of weakness opposite to strength. In English, infirm appeared in the 13th century with both medical and general senses of weakness. Over time, the word broadened to describe not only physical frailty but also mental or moral instability, though in modern usage it remains most common in formal medical or legal contexts. The word pairings include the noun infirmary (a place for sick) and the adj. infirm, whose semantic focus shifted from “not strong” to specifically “not physically robust” in many registers. First known uses appear in medical writings and scholastic texts where authors contrasted infirm health with robust vitality. The evolution reflects historical medical theories about humors and strength, with infirm as a descriptor of diminished function rather than a sudden disease. In contemporary English, infirm retains a slightly archaic or literary flavor, often used to describe elderly or medically frail individuals in formal prose.
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Words that rhyme with "infirm"
-inf sounds
-me) sounds
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