2 syllables: Moun, tain. Stress on Moun.
MOWN-tuhn
/ˈmaʊntən/
Mountain is pronounced MOWN-tuhn (/ˈmaʊntən/). It has two syllables (Moun-tain), with the stress on "Moun". Mountain refers to a natural elevation of the earth’s surface, typically higher and less rounded than hills. It conveys a sense of grandeur and rugged terrain. In everyday use, it can also refer to a mountain range or a large elevated feature in a landscape. The word combines the sounds /ˈmaʊn/ and /tən/, with initial stress on the first syllable.
nounMountain refers to a natural elevation of the earth’s surface, typically higher and less rounded than hills. It conveys a sense of grandeur and rugged terrain. In everyday use, it can also refer to a mountain range or a large elevated feature in a landscape. The word combines the sounds /ˈmaʊn/ and /tən/, with initial stress on the first syllable.
"We hiked up the mountain and were rewarded with a panoramic view."
"The hikers camped near the base of the mountain after a long day of climbing."
"A weathered trail winds through the mountain forest, offering shade and silence."
Pronounce as /ˈmaʊn.tən/. Start with a stressed /maʊn/ nucleus—like ‘mow’ with an N blend—then glide into a quick, unstressed /tən/. In natural speech, the second syllable reduces to a quick /ən/ or /n̩/. Audio references: imagine saying ‘mown’ + ‘tən’ quickly; you’ll hear the strong first syllable and the light second syllable. IPA guides: US/UK/AU share the same pronunciation in standard accents.
Common errors include turning the first syllable into a plain /mon/ with a short o sound, or pronouncing the second syllable as full /ten/ instead of a reduced /tən/. Another frequent issue is adding an extra vowel between /n/ and /t/, producing /ˈmaʊn-ɪ-tən/. Correction: keep the /aʊ/ diphthong intact in the first syllable and reduce the second to /tən/ without an extra syllable. Practice with word pairs to reinforce the rhythm.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the primary stress remains on the first syllable, but vowel quality can vary slightly: US often has a tighter /aʊ/ diphthong; UK sometimes yields a marginally fronter or longer /aʊ/; AU tends toward a broader, more centralized /ə/ in rapid speech but still maintains /ˈmaʊn.tən/. Rhoticity is generally not a factor for the word itself, but surrounding consonants and connected speech can influence perceived vowel quality.
The difficulty comes from the /aʊ/ diphthong that's produced with a wide mouth opening and then a rapid transition into a reduced /tən/. The second syllable /tən/ is often reduced in fluent speech, making it easy to blur the boundary between syllables. Also, the 'mt' consonant cluster across syllable boundary can tempt mis-syllabification, e.g., 'moun-tain' vs the natural 'mow-tn.' Focus on the syllable boundary and the light second syllable.
The combination of a strong initial diphthong /aʊ/ followed by a very light /tən/ makes a contrast between a full, stressed syllable and a highly reduced secondary. The cluster boundary between /n/ and /t/ can also trigger interference, especially in connected speech where the /t/ can become unreleased (tap or glottal stop in some dialects). Paying attention to the crisp /t/ and gentle /ən/ can help stabilize pronunciation.
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Mountain comes from Old French montagne, from Latin montanea, from mont- ‘mountain’, from the Proto-Indo-European root men- ‘to incline, to rise’. In English, the form evolved in Middle English as montne or mountien before stabilizing to mountain by the 14th century. The initial stress is on the first syllable, reflecting the Germanic tendency to emphasize the leading syllable in two-syllable nouns with a strong root meaning. The suffix -ain or -ainfave often conflates with French-influenced spellings; however, the modern pronunciation has the /ˈmaʊn/ onset, a nasal /n/ in the first syllable, and a schwa-like reduced second syllable. The term has always denoted a large elevated landform and expanded metaphorically to indicate imposing or grand features in literature and geography. First known use in English appears in the late 13th to early 14th century, aligning with the Norman influence on terrain terminology as settlement and mapping intensified in medieval Europe.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Mountain" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Mountain" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Mountain"
-ain sounds
-in’ sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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