Pronunciation – Can a Word Have Multiple Syllable Counts? Examples Explained

pronunciationsyllables

to further clarify, for example is it possible to have one word that has one pronunciation that is 2 syllables and at the same time the exact same word has another pronunciation that is 3 syllables

Best Answer

Yes, there are English words that can be pronounced with more than one syllable count.

For example, comfortable has two pronunciations listed in Collins. One has three syllables, another has four:

(ˈkʌmftəbəl , ˈkʌmfətəbəl )

Extraordinary is listed with four, five, and six syllable pronunciations in Oxford Online:

/ɪkˈstrɔːd(ə)n(ə)ri//ˌɛkstrəˈɔːdɪn(ə)ri//ɛkˈstrɔːd(ə)n(ə)ri/

Each of these are different pronunciations of the same word, not homonyms.

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