4 syllables: in, ter, view, er. Stress on in.
/ˈɪntɚˌvjuɚ/
Say it backInterviewer refers to a person who asks questions in a formal or informal setting to elicit information, insights, or opinions from a respondent. It involves structured questioning, active listening, and evaluating responses. The word combines “interview” with the agentive suffix “-er,” denoting someone who performs the action.
- Ensure you don’t merge /t/ and /v/ into a single sound; keep /t/ crisp before the /v/ transition. - Don’t over-reduce the middle syllable; retain a clear /ər/ or /ə/ so the rhythm remains three beats: in-ter-view-er. - Pay attention to the final /ɚ/ (US) or /ə/ (UK/AU); avoid a trailing clipped vowel by finishing with a relaxed mouth and a light epilogue of the syllable.
"The interviewer asked probing, thoughtful questions about the candidate’s experience."
"During the televised interview, the interviewer challenged the guest with sharp follow-ups."
"She prepared extensively to handle difficult questions from the interviewer."
US: /ˈɪn.tərˌvjuː.ɚ/; UK: /ˈɪn.təˌvjuː.ə/; AU: /ˈɪn.təˌvjuː.ɚ/. The word is three syllables with primary stress on the second syllable: in-TER-view-er (US) or in-tə-VYOO-ə (UK/AU in rhythm). Start with /ɪ/ as in it, then a light schwa in the second syllable, then /vjuː/ as a combined consonant-vowel cluster, ending with /ɚ/ (American rhotic schwa) or /ə/ in non-rhotic accents. Keep the /t/ crisp, avoid a flap. Practice linking: in-tə(r)-vjuː-ər.”,
Common errors: (1) Merging /t/ and /v/ into /d/ or a soft /t/; keep a clear /t/ boundary before /v/. (2) Misplacing stress, saying in-TER-viwer or in-ter-VYOO-er; ensure the primary stress sits on the second syllable: in-TER-view-er. (3) Overly elongating the /juː/ sequence after /v/ or losing the schwa; aim for a compact /vjuː/ cluster. Corrections: articulate /t/ sharply, maintain /tər/ as a distinct segment, and produce /vjuː/ as a single glide-vowel combo rather than two separate sounds.”,
US tends to rhotic /ɚ/ at the end and a clear /ɹ/ in r-colored vowels; UK often reduces final /ə/ and has non-rhotic tendency; AU tends toward a more centralized vowel quality with moderate rhoticity and a slightly less pronounced final /ɚ/ with a clear /j/ in the /vjuː/ cluster. In all, the middle /ɜr/ or /ər/ can influence quality, and the /juː/ may be realized as /juː/ or a shorter /jə/ in casual speech. IPA guidance: US /ˈɪn.tərˌvjuː.ɚ/, UK /ˈɪn.təˌvjuː.ə/, AU /ˈɪn.təˌvjuː.ɚ/.
It combines a difficult cluster /tər/ before /v/, and /vjuː/ creates a tricky v-j glide sequence. The sequence /ərˌv/ requires a light, rapid transition between rhotic schwa and the rounded /vjuː/ vowel cluster. Stress placement around the second syllable can feel counterintuitive if you’re not anchoring your jaw and tongue positions. Focus on crisp /t/, smooth /ər/, and the quick /vjuː/ glide to master the sound.
Yes— the /vjuː/ cluster is a key feature: the /v/ is immediately followed by a /j/ glide into a long /uː/ vowel. Some speakers insert a tiny schwa or reduce the /ər/ portion before the glide, leading to in-tər-vjuː-ər versus in-təˈvjuːə. Maintaining a clean /t/ before the /v/ and a strong /r/ or schwa after, depending on accent, helps maintain accuracy across dialects.
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- US: rhotic ending; keep the final /ɚ/ clear and loud, ensure the /r/ coloration is felt. - UK: non-rhotic tendency; final /ə/ may be weaker, focus on the /ˌvjuː/ sequence and the half-closed /ə/ before it. - AU: similar to UK but with slightly different vowel quality; aim for a mid-central /ə/ and a subtle rhoticity depending on speaker. IPA references: US /ˈɪn.tɚˌvjuː.ɚ/; UK /ˈɪn.təˌvjuː.ə/; AU /ˈɪn.təˌvjuː.ɚ/.
Interviewer comes from the noun interview, borrowed from the Late Latin inter-, meaning between, and the Old French entrevue meaning ‘an encounter, meeting’. The English verb interview dates to the 18th century, deriving from the practice of “enter-view” or an encounter where questions are exchanged. The addition of -er to form an agent noun is a productive pattern in English, indicating a person who performs the action. The term gained prominence in journalism and employment contexts in the 20th century as formal interviewing became a structured activity in media, research, and HR. First known uses appear in print in the 19th and early 20th centuries, aligning with the rise of professional interviewing standards in newsrooms and recruitment processes. Over time, it expanded into varied domains such as journalism, academia, and HR, maintaining a stable pronunciation with a stress on the second syllable: in-TER-view-er.
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Words that rhyme with "interviewer"
-ner sounds
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