uhn-WEL-kuhm
/əˈnwɛlkəm/
unwelcome is pronounced uhn-WEL-kuhm (/əˈnwɛlkəm/). Unwelcome means not gladly received or greeted; it describes something or someone regarded with disapproval, discomfort, or opposition. The term combines the prefix un- (not) with welcome (to receive with pleasure), signaling a negative reception. It is used for people, news, or situations that are not desired or invited, often producing a sense of intrusion or awkwardness.
Unwelcome means not gladly received or greeted; it describes something or someone regarded with disapproval, discomfort, or opposition. The term combines the prefix un- (not) with welcome (to receive with pleasure), signaling a negative reception. It is used for people, news, or situations that are not desired or invited, often producing a sense of intrusion or awkwardness.
"The news came as an unwelcome surprise to the team."
"An unwelcome guest was at the party, lurking near the back door."
"Her manager received the feedback as unwelcome but necessary."
Pronounce as un-WEL-kuhm with stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /ʌnˈwɛlkəm/, UK /ənˈwel.kəm/, AU /ənˈwɛlkəm/. Start with a light schwa or mid-central in the first syllable, then a clear stressed 'wel' with the lips rounded slightly, followed by a soft schwa and a final light 'm'. Tip: ensure the 'l' is the clear lit portion before the final 'k' release, avoid running 'wel' into 'k'.
Two frequent errors: (1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable, producing un-WEL-come with flat intonation; (2) Running the /w/ into /l/ or mangling the /k/ before the final /ə/; instead, articulate /wɛl/ clearly, then release to /k/ and finish with a light /əm/. Practice by isolating /ˈwɛlk/ cluster and then add the final schwa plus m.
In US English, stress typically lands on the second syllable with a clear /ˈwɛl/; the first syllable uses /ʌ/ or /ən/ depending on rhythm. UK English often reduces the first syllable to /ən/ and maintains a crisp /ˈwel/ for the stressed vowel with non-rhotic final /r/ absent. Australian tends to a vowel quality between US /ɛ/ and UK /e/; the /l/ is light but clear, and the final /əm/ may be pronounced with a more centralized vowel. Overall, the core rhotics and the /w/ onset are stable, but vowel quality shifts slightly.
Key challenges include the two-syllable rhythm with a secondary consonant cluster /nw/ followed by /ɛl/ and a light final /əm/. Many English learners stumble on keeping the /w/ and /l/ distinct in a row and on producing the unstressed vowel in the first syllable as a reduced schwa rather than a full vowel. Precision in the /ˈwɛl/ sequence and a clipped final /əm/ helps avoid sounding like 'un-well-cum'.
A unique aspect is stabilizing the /w/ after the prefix un- and the following /ˈwɛl/ unit; you should avoid linking the /n/ directly into /w/ in rapid speech. Maintain a brief pause or light separation between the nasal /n/ of 'un-' and the /w/ onset of 'welcome' to preserve the two-consonant boundary, especially in careful speech. IPA guidance reinforces the distinct onset of the stressed syllable.
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US: rhoticity is less relevant here since /r/ isn’t present; focus on a clearer /ɹ/ in other words. UK: maintain the non-rhotic tendency; ensure /l/ is lighter and more back-of-tongue. AU: vowel quality leans toward a centralized /ə/ in the first syllable, and the second syllable keeps /ɛ/ close to US /ɛ/. Vowel charts: /ʌ/ or /ən/ for initial, /ˈwɛl/ for stressed, /kəm/ for final. Practice matching native rhythm and intonation: 2-syllable units with a mild falling intonation after the nucleus.
Unwelcome is a compound of the negating prefix un- and welcome. Welcome itself traces to Old English welcume (well come), from wel (well) + cuman (to come). The modern sense of “to receive with pleasure” or “gracious reception” evolves through Middle English and Early Modern English, maintaining the core idea of reception. The negative prefix un- attaches to welcome by the 17th century, forming unwelcome in the sense of not being welcomed. Over time, unwelcome extended beyond literal reception to describe unsettling or undesired things, such as unwelcome news or unwelcome guests. The word interacts with other negating prefixes and adjectives to convey social discomfort or opposition, and it’s frequently used in both formal and informal discourse. First known written attestations appear in English texts from the 1600s onward, reflecting a growing vernacular of polite society concerned with acceptance and hospitality. Today, unwelcome functions across multiple registers, retaining its contrast with welcome while flexibly describing events, information, or persons that disrupt preferred norms or expectations.
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Words that rhyme with "unwelcome"
-een sounds
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