2 syllables: Neigh, bor. Stress on Neigh.
NAY-bur
/ˈneɪbɚ/
Neighbor is pronounced NAY-bur (/ˈneɪbɚ/). It has two syllables (Neigh-bor), with the stress on "Neigh". Neighbor is a noun referring to a person who lives near or next to you. It can also denote someone in a neighboring area or a person or thing that closely resembles or is adjacent in some sense. In everyday use, it often functions as a subject or object in sentences and carries connotations of proximity and community.
nounNeighbor is a noun referring to a person who lives near or next to you. It can also denote someone in a neighboring area or a person or thing that closely resembles or is adjacent in some sense. In everyday use, it often functions as a subject or object in sentences and carries connotations of proximity and community.
"Our neighbor helped us shovel the driveway after the storm."
"She brought cookies to welcome the new neighbor."
"The house across the street is up for sale, the neighbor’s place has a lemon tree."
Pronounce it as NEY-bər in US English, with the primary stress on the first syllable. The first syllable uses the /neɪ/ diphthong (like in say or day) and the second syllable bears a weak schwa /ɚ/ or /ə/ depending on the accent: US typically /ˈneɪ.bɚ/, UK /ˈneɪ.bə/, AU /ˈneɪ.bə/. Practice saying ‘neigh’ + ‘bore’ quickly, easing into /ɚ/ or /ə/. This yields a natural, two-beat rhythm: NEY-bər.
Common errors include pronouncing the second syllable as a full /ɔːr/ or /or/ (neighboring mispronunciations) and misplacing stress on the second syllable (neigh-bor). Another error is over-articulating the /r/ in non-rhotic British contexts. Correction: keep the primary stress on NEY, and reduce the second syllable to a soft /ə/ or /ɚ/ without adding a full vowel sound. In rapid speech, say /ˈneɪ.bə/ and let the second syllable be quick and neutral.
In US English it’s typically /ˈneɪ.bɚ/, rhotically colored with a clear /ɚ/ in the final syllable. UK English tends toward /ˈneɪ.bə/ with a shorter, unstressed final vowel and non-rhoticity, sometimes sounding like /ˈneɪ.bə/. Australian English mirrors UK in many speakers but may show a slightly broader vowel in the first syllable and a more centralized /ə/ in the second. Across accents, the main differences are final-syllable vowel quality and rhoticity, not the primary stress.
The difficulty lies in the rapid reduction of the second syllable to a schwa or rhotic vowel, especially in American speech, which can blur the boundary between 'neighbor' and 'neighborhood' if elongated. The /neɪ/ diphthong must maintain precision while the /ɚ/ or /ə/ should stay light and unstressed. For learners, balancing the diphthong’s clarity with the quick, relaxed second syllable is key to natural pronunciation.
Both pronunciations exist, but most speakers use /ˈneɪ.bɚ/ or /ˈneɪ.bə/ depending on accent. In fast American speech, the final /ɚ/ often reduces to a quick, almost silent schwa, sounding like /ˈneɪ.bə/. Some formal or careful speech may retain a slightly clearer /ɚ/ sound, sounding like /ˈneɪ.bɝ/ in careful enunciation. Listen to native samples to feel the space between syllables and practice the slight vowel reduction.
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Neighbor comes from the Middle English neighboren, from Old English nemne, from ne (not) + meare (near). The term evolved from a sense of “nearest,” “near to one’s dwelling,” and later broadened to refer to people living nearby in a community. The spelling shifted through Middle English variants like neiyghbor and nabor before stabilizing in Early Modern English as neighbor. The concept is tied to proximity and social familiarity, underscored by the shift from geographic proximity to social familiarity in some contexts. First attested in the 12th–13th centuries, neighbor has maintained its core meaning of “a person who lives near you” while acquiring figurative senses such as a close associate or fellow citizen. Over time, the word has become a staple in everyday conversation, literature, and idiomatic expressions (as in “neighboring countries” or “neighborly”). The phonetic form solidified in modern English, with the two-syllable pattern NEIGH-bor influencing stress and vowel qualities in many dialects.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Neighbor" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Neighbor" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Neighbor"
-yer sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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