uhn-fuh-MIL-yur
/ˌʌnfəˈmɪljɚ/
unfamiliar is pronounced uhn-fuh-MIL-yur (/ˌʌnfəˈmɪljɚ/). Unfamiliar describes something not previously known or encountered; not familiar. It can refer to people, places, objects, or experiences that are new or not well understood. The term often implies a sense of novelty, ambiguity, or unpredictability in relation to what one already knows.
Unfamiliar describes something not previously known or encountered; not familiar. It can refer to people, places, objects, or experiences that are new or not well understood. The term often implies a sense of novelty, ambiguity, or unpredictability in relation to what one already knows.
"I felt unfamiliar with the controls at first, so I asked for a quick demonstration."
"The menu featured some unfamiliar dishes that I’d never tried before."
"She spoke in an unfamiliar accent that took a moment to understand."
Pronounce as un-FAM-ih-lee-uhr (US: /ˌən.fəˈmɪl.ju.ɚ/; UK: /ˌʌn.fəˈmɪl.i.ə/). The primary stress lands on the second syllable: fam. Say /ˌən.fəˈmɪl.ju.ə/ for a more careful, four-syllable rhythm. Tip: keep the /æ/ close to a short 'a' in the second syllable, and make the final -ar sound as a quick schwa + r in rhotic varieties. Audio references: consult Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries for native-speaker samples.
Common errors: flattening the second syllable so it becomes un-FAM-uh-lee-ur; misplacing the stress to the first syllable. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable: un-FAM-ih-lee-ur; ensure a light, quick ending /jə/ or /ju/ depending on accent. Practice smoothing the liaison from /f/ into /ə/, and avoid a harsh, dark final /ɹ/ in non-rhotic contexts.
US tends to pronounce as /ˌən.fəˈmɪl.ju.ɚ/ with rhotic /ɚ/ at the end. UK often lands on /ˌʌn.fəˈmɪl.i.ə/ with non-rhotic /ə/ at the end and a lighter /l/; AU similar to UK with a slightly broader vowel in /ɪ/ and a terminal /ə/ or /ɐ/ in casual speech. Key differences: rhotics, vowel length, and final schwa quality. Reference: dictionary audio samples show regional variants you can imitate.
Difficulties arise from multiple syllables with a mid-stress pattern and the cluster transition between /fə/ and /mɪl/; the /f/ to /ə/ glide, and the light /l/ followed by a clear /j/ or /l/ sound. The final unstressed -iar/ -iə creates a subtle schwa, which non-native speakers may omit. Pay attention to the liquid /l/ and the diphthongal endings in different dialects.
A unique aspect is the schwa-to-tilde transition in the second half: you rotate from a reduced vowel /ə/ into a clearer /mɪl/ onset; the second syllable carries the nucleus. Practicing the sequence un-FA-mi-lar in some dialects helps anchor the shift from a reduced first syllable to a more defined mid-stressed center.
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US: rhotic final /ɚ/ in careful speech; UK: non-rhotic ending, /ə/ or /ɪəl/; AU: similar to UK with a slightly broader vowel in /ɪ/ and a softer /ə/-final. Vowel differences: /ə/ vs /æ/ in stressed vs unstressed positions; /ɪ/ is shorter and cleaner in US. Emphasize the second syllable; keep triplet rhythm un-FAM-i-liar with a light, quick ending.
Unfamiliar is formed from the prefix un- meaning ‘not’ and familiar, which derives from Latin familiaris ‘of the household, intimate, known to us.’ Familiar comes from Latin familiaris (of the household) via Old French familier, evolving to English in the medieval period with sense of ‘well known’ or ‘conversant.’ The negative un- attaches to familiar to express negation: not known, not recognized, not understood. In early use, unfamiliar described people or places not previously encountered; by the 17th–18th centuries it broadened to experiences, ideas, or situations not within one’s knowledge. The word has retained its core human-and-knowledge sense, while also adopting psychological and perceptual nuance: something unfamiliar can feel unfamiliar due to novelty, ambiguity, or lack of familiarity with a context or system. First known use citations anchor its emergence in English usage focused on contrast with the familiar, reinforcing its role as a marker of novelty or unknown familiarity.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "unfamiliar" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "unfamiliar" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "unfamiliar"
-iar sounds
-nar sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
