You're Welcome is a polite, conversational exchange used in response to thanks. In typical speech it collapses to a friendly, short acknowledgment that the gratitude is accepted and the interaction can end on a positive note. The phrase involves the contraction you’re /jʊər/ and the standard response welcome /ˈwɛlkəm/, often reduced to a quick, almost syllabic form in casual speech.
US: rhotic /r/; /jər/ often realized as a short, unstressed schwa-like /ər/ after /j/. UK: non-rhotic tendencies may reduce the /r/; first vowel can be longer: /jɔː/; AU: broader vowel quality with a slightly higher second vowel; mouth tends to be more relaxed, with a tamer /r/ sometimes omitted before consonants in connected speech.
"A: Thanks for helping with the project."
"B: You’re welcome—glad I could help."
"Customer: Thanks for the quick service!"
"Clerk: You’re welcome. Have a great day!"
The phrase You're Welcome originates from the response to thanks in English, with you’re a contraction of you are and welcome deriving from the early modern English noun welcome, meaning an honorable, affectionate reception or acceptance. By the 16th–18th centuries, phrases like ‘you are welcome’ functioned as polite social formulae indicating that the recipient’s help was gladly received and valued. Over time, the form shortened in casual speech to the compact you’re welcome, with elision and assimilation common in rapid conversation. The trend toward brevity intensified in American and British English from the 19th century onward, coinciding with broader trends toward informal politeness. The sense expanded to function as a standard response to expressions of gratitude rather than a literal invitation into hospitality, cementing its fixed pragmatic role in everyday discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "You're Welcome"
-ter sounds
-ler sounds
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/jɔːr ˈwɛlkəm/ in many American accents, with 'you’re' reduced toward /jər/ or /jɔr/ and stress on 'wel-' in 'welcome'. In strict careful speech you’ll hear /jʊər ˈwɛlkəm/. For UK listeners, it’s often /jɔː ˈwel.kəm/ with a stronger /l/ and clearer syllable separation; Australian speech tends toward /jɔː ˈwɛlkəm/ with a bright vowel in the first syllable. Mouth-position guidance: start with rounded lips for /jɔː/ or /jʊər/, then drop jaw to pronounce /wɛl/ with a light, steady /w/ and a short /k/ before /əm/.
Common errors include pronouncing you’re as /juːr/ with a long, fronted /uː/ and over-articulating the /r/ in non-rhotic dialects. Another issue is pronouncing /welkəm/ as /welˈkɒm/ or over-enunciating the final syllable and making /m/ too nasal. Correct by blending /jɔr/ into a quick, reduced /jər/ followed by a crisp /ˈwɛlkəm/ with a light, unaspirated /k/ and a soft final /m/. Use a quick, even cadence to mirror everyday speech.
US: often /jɔr ˈwɛlkəm/ with rhotic /r/ and reduced final vowel. UK: /jɔː ˈwel.kəm/ with less rhotic emphasis and clearer syllable division. AU: /jɔː ˈwɛlkəm/ similar to UK but with broader vowel quality; often a slightly flatter intonation and more rounded /ɔː/ in the first syllable. In all, the /r/ varies by rhoticity and vowel qualities shift subtly; stress remains on the first syllable of 'welcome' but can reduce in fast speech.
Two main challenges: (1) the contracted /jər/ can be reduced or merged variably—some speakers voice /jɔːr/ while others glide quickly to /jər/, affecting vowel height and length; (2) the /ˈwɛlkəm/ sequence requires a crisp /w/ followed by a short, unstressed /əl/ and a final /m/ that blends with the lips—mistakes include over-articulating the /l/ or adding an extra syllable. Focus on reaching a quick, neutral vowel in the first syllable and a clean, clipped /wɛlkəm/.
No, there are no silent letters in the standard pronunciation of You're Welcome. All letters contribute to the spoken form: the ’you’re’ portion has a contracted /jər/ or /jɔr/ with a pronounced r-color, and 'welcome' /ˈwɛlkəm/ includes a visible /k/ followed by a reduced final /əm/. The tricky part is how the vowel in the first syllable reduces and the final syllable ends with a soft /m/ sound rather than a fully enunciated vowel.
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