uhn-KAH-muhn
/əˈnkɑmən/
uncommon is pronounced uhn-KAH-muhn (/əˈnkɑmən/). Uncommon describes something not commonly found or encountered; unusual or infrequent. It implies deviation from the norm and signals rarity in occurrence or use. In everyday speech, it often appears in formal or descriptive contexts to emphasize distinctiveness or surprise about rarity, rather than everyday frequency.
Uncommon describes something not commonly found or encountered; unusual or infrequent. It implies deviation from the norm and signals rarity in occurrence or use. In everyday speech, it often appears in formal or descriptive contexts to emphasize distinctiveness or surprise about rarity, rather than everyday frequency.
- You might flatten the middle syllable, turning /ˌənˈkɒmən/ into something like /ˌənˈkɒmən/ with a too-short middle vowel. Ensure the middle vowel is clearly /ɒ/ (UK/AU) or /ɑː/ (US) and give it a light, stressed quality before the final syllable. - Another error is pronouncing it like 'common' by dropping the prefix 'un-'. Practice the full tri-syllable rhythm slowly, then speed up. - Finally, the final -mon can be muffled; keep /mən/ and avoid /mɔn/ or /mənn/ by closing the lips smoothly for the final syllable.
"It’s uncommon to see snow in spring here."
"The word ‘uncommon’ is slightly more formal than simply saying rare."
"Her accent revealed an uncommon melodic cadence in her speech."
Pronounced un-COM-mon with three syllables: /ˌənˈkɒmən/ in US and UK, and /ˌənˈkɒmən/ in Australian speech. The primary stress is on the second syllable 'COM', with a softened initial schwa and a light, unstressed final '-ən'. Keep the 'n' consonant crisp between syllables. Listen for the subtle linking in fluent speech: /ˌənˈkɒ-mən/.
Two frequent errors: 1) Over-stressing the first syllable: un-COM-mon should have primary stress on COM; 2) Mispronouncing the final syllable: ensure the final '-mon' is /mən/, not /mɔn/ in many speakers. Another pitfall is merging into 'common' by reducing the vowel in the middle; keep the 'o' as /ɒ/ (British) or /ɒ/ in American, and clearly separate syllables: /ˌənˈkɒmən/.
US/UK/AU share the /ˌənˈkɒmən/ skeleton, but vowel quality differs: US often uses /ˈkɑː/ or /ˈkɒmən/? Actually US typically /ˌənˈkɑːmən/? Correction: Common US pronunciation for 'common' is /ˈkɑːmən/ or /ˈkɑːmən/, but 'uncommon' includes /ɒ/ as in 'cot' for many British and Australian vowels; in US some speakers affiliate with /ˌənˈkɒmən/ or /ˌənˈkɔːmən/ depending on dialect. Rhoticity matters: US often rhotic with /ˈkɒ/? The safe note: US tends to produce /ˌənˈkɑːmən/ in many dialects, while UK uses /ˌənˈkɒmən/ with non-rhotic 'r' not pronounced; AU often /ˌənˈkɒmən/ with broad /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ depending on speaker.
The difficulty often lies in the three-syllable rhythm and the central /k/ cluster followed by a neutral vowel in the final syllable. The middle vowel in 'common' is reduced to a short /ɒ/ or /ə/, so the sequence /ənˈkɒmən/ requires clean syllable separation and avoiding gliding into 'kom-men' as one syllable. Maintaining distinct vowels in each syllable helps intelligibility, especially in fast speech.
The tri-syllabic structure with a stressed second syllable makes it a test of proper stress distribution in connected speech. The vowel in the middle, /ɒ/ (or /ɑː/ in some US dialects), contrasts with the reduced final syllable /ən/. This requires careful tongue narrowing and jaw positioning to avoid merging into 'common' or creating an elongated middle vowel. Practicing with minimal pairs and listening contrasts helps solidify accuracy.
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- US: vowels tend to be flatter; keep the mid vowel slightly open, with final /ən/ reduced but audible. - UK: expect clearer /ɒ/ in /kɒmən/, with non-rhotic 'r' and crisper final /ən/. - AU: similar to UK, often broader vowel qualities; practice with a slightly more open /ɒ/ and steady /ə/ in the first syllable. Use IPA as reference: /ˌənˈkɒmən/ (UK/AU) vs /ˌənˈkɑːmən/ (US variant). - General tip: practice three-part segmentation, then blend to fluent speech; keep lips rounded for /ɒ/ and relax jaw for schwa in the first syllable.
Uncommon comes from the combination of the prefix un- (meaning not or opposite) and the adjective common, which itself traces to Old French commun (
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "uncommon" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "uncommon"
-me) sounds
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