2 syllables: Slum, ber. Stress on Slum.
SLUHM-bur
/ˈslʌmbɚ/
Slumber is pronounced SLUHM-bur (/ˈslʌmbɚ/). It has two syllables (Slum-ber), with the stress on "Slum". Slumber is a noun meaning a period of sleep or a state of rest. It often conveys a gentle, lingering sleep rather than active wakefulness, and can also appear in figurative uses like “slumbering thoughts.” The term is common in literary or formal contexts and contrasts with wakefulness or wakeful activity.
nounSlumber is a noun meaning a period of sleep or a state of rest. It often conveys a gentle, lingering sleep rather than active wakefulness, and can also appear in figurative uses like “slumbering thoughts.” The term is common in literary or formal contexts and contrasts with wakefulness or wakeful activity.
- Common mistake: Overemphasizing the second syllable, saying /ˈslʌm.bær/ or a full /ɚ/ with clear vowel; correction: keep the second syllable short and lax, ending in a quick schwa-like sound. - Mistake: Merging the /m/ with the following consonant too tightly, causing a slowed transition; correction: finish /m/ cleanly, allow the mouth to relax into the second syllable. - Mistake: Confusing /ʌ/ with /ɜ/ or /ə/ in some speakers; correction: practice isolating /ʌ/ using “strut” as a reference, then glide into the /ɚ/ or /ə/ quickly.
How to Pronounce Slumber
"Last night I slipped into a peaceful slumber after a long day."
"The city seemed to drift back to slumber as dawn approached."
"His creative ideas lay in slumber until the meeting stirred them awake."
Pronounce it as /ˈslʌm.bɚ/ in General US and /ˈslʌm.bə/ in many UK/AU varieties. The first syllable has stress on SLUM-, with /ʌ/ like the “uh” in mud. The second syllable is a quick, unstressed /bɚ/ (US: rhotacized schwa), where the tongue rests near the alveolar ridge and the lips are relaxed; take a short, soft /ɚ/ or /ə/ depending on accent. Imagine saying “SLUM” and then a light “-ber” without full vowel stress.
Common errors include over-pronouncing the second syllable: saying /slʌm.bær/ or adding a strong vowel in the second syllable. Another mistake is flattening the /ʌ/ to a too-fronted /ɪ/ or /i/. To correct: keep the first vowel central but lax (like in “strut”), and reduce the second syllable to a quick /ɚ/ (US) or /ə/ (UK/AU), with minimal voicing after the /m/.
In US English you’ll hear /ˈslʌm.bɚ/ with a rhotic ending /ɚ/. In UK English the end is usually /ˈslʌm.bə/ with a non-rhotic, but many listeners still perceive a light vowel in the second syllable. Australian English commonly mirrors /ˈslʌm.bə/ but may have a wider vowel in the first syllable and less rounding on the final vowel. Overall, primary stress remains on the first syllable; rhotics are the main accental difference.
Difficulties center on the unstressed second syllable and rhotic vs non-rhotic endings. The /ʌ/ in SLUM can be misarticulated as /ə/ or /ɪ/, and the final /ɚ/ (US) vs /ə/ (UK/AU) can feel unfamiliar if you’re not producing a centered, quick-sound. Practice balancing mouth openness for /ʌ/ with a relaxed, short /ɚ/ in the second syllable, ensuring the two syllables flow without a heavy vowel on the second.
Slumber is a compact word with a single stressed syllable followed by a weak, rhotic or non-rhotic ending. The challenge is keeping the /ʌ/ distinct from similar vowels in nearby words (sun, sum) while making the /ɚ/ or /ə/ sound natural and not drawn out. Also, sustaining natural liaison in connected speech (e.g., ‘slumbering thoughts’) requires smooth bridging without adding extra vowels between syllables.
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- US: rhotic /ɚ/ ending; keep the /r/ color light, almost muted in careful speech, but audible in connected speech. - UK: non-rhotic ending; the second syllable ends with a schwa-like vowel; no /r/ sound; the /ʌ/ in SLUM remains central. - AU: generally non-rhotic; vowel timing tends to be a touch longer on the first syllable; final vowel often schwa. IPA guides: US /ˈslʌm.bɚ/, UK /ˈslʌm.bə/, AU /ˈslʌm.bə/; focus on keeping the first vowel central and the second syllable short and relaxed across all accents.
Slumber entered English via Middle English slomeren, from Old French somnoler, based on somnus in Latin, meaning sleep. The root somn- appears in other sleep-related terms like somnolent and somniferous. Early forms surface in the 13th–14th centuries, with slumber used in both literal sleep and metaphorical stillness or inactivity. The word shifted from a simpler noun for sleep to a broader sense of a dormant or inactive state within literature and daily speech. Over time, slumber has retained its non-urgent connotation of gradual, peaceful sleep, distinct from hurried or restless sleep. In modern usage, it often appears in poetic, archaic, or formal registers, but remains comfortably understood in everyday language as well. The evolution reflects English’s tendency to fuse latency with repose, providing a flexible term that can describe both physical rest and suspended animation of ideas, plans, or attention.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Slumber" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Slumber" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Slumber"
-ber sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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