Proper Pronunciation Guide

January

[ʤæn juɛ͜ɚi]

Tips:

  • Pronounce this word as four distinct syllables, stressing the first one.
  • Pronounce the letter “u” like the name of the letter itself —
    /ju/.
  • Pronounce the third syllable, which is spelled “ar,” as the R-Vowel Diphthong /ɛ͜ɚ/—like the word “air.”
  • Use the consonant glide
    /w/ to link from the second to the third syllable—from
    /ju/ to /ɛ͜ɚ/.
  • Use the consonant glide
    /r/ to link from the third to the final syllable—from /ɛ͜ɚ/ to
    /i/.

Practice Sentences:

 Let's meet on January eighteenth.
You need to be wary of ice in January.

Notes:

The first syllable of January is “Jan,” which can be short for Janet; the second syllable is “you,” and the third and fourth syllables together are “wary,” which means to be on your guard against a potential danger. Therefore, you can say: “Jan, you be wary” (of him). Then you can say it again, stressing “Jan” and omitting “be”: “Jan you wary.”

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