Speaking+ Speaking+
Get started
pronunciation 2 min read

how to pronounce fervently

Say FER-vuhnt-lee with the stress firmly on the first syllable: UK /ˈfɜː.vənt.li/, US /ˈfɝː.vənt.li/. The varieties differ only in the first vowel. In the US variety, curl the tongue tip back so the first vowel carries an r-colour, like the vowel in fur. In the UK variety, hold the vowel long without any r sound, like the vowel in fur said with the tongue flat. In both, let the last two syllables stay light and quick: a soft v, then nt, then a fast lee. To feel the stress pattern, say the first syllable slightly louder and longer while the second and third stay small. A phrase to practise: She thanked them fervently. Keep the shape FER-vuhnt-lee inside the sentence so the stress does not drift forward. Try this now: read the phrase above aloud three times, keeping the first syllable the strongest each time. Pick a sentence you use often, insert fervently into it, and keep the same stress shape there. If the first syllable loses its weight, pause and rebuild the word slowly before saying the whole sentence again. This works whether you are aiming at the UK or US form; both share the same stress and rhythm.

A closer look

Say it FER-vuhnt-lee, three syllables, stress on the first. UK /ˈfɜː.vənt.li/, US /ˈfɝː.vənt.li/.

The varieties differ only in the first vowel: US curls the tongue back for an r-coloured vowel, UK leaves it long without r. Both keep the last two syllables light and quick.

How your mouth makes the word

  1. Keep your tongue central and relaxed for the first vowel, held a little long. For the US form, let the tip curl slightly back for the r-coloured vowel. Say FER with strong stress.

  2. Let your mouth relax for the second syllable. Say a quick, unstressed vuh, with your top teeth touching your bottom lip for the v.

  3. Finish with a soft nt-lee: tongue tip taps behind your top teeth for the n and t, then a light l before ee. Keep those last syllables quiet and quick.

Say it in a phrase, and hear the stress contrast

  • Say it in this short phrase: She spoke fervently. Keep a strong FER and let vuhnt-lee move quickly, so the word tumbles off the beat rather than holding its own stress.

  • Hear the stress contrast: She spoke FERvently is correct, while She spoke ferVENTly moves the beat to the wrong syllable. Both use the same letters, but only FERvently, with the beat on the first syllable, is how dictionaries transcribe the word.

  • Feel the linking: spoke fervently runs together with no pause after spoke. The v of the second syllable starts as soon as the first vowel finishes, so keep your lips ready early.

  • Say the word on its own and let the beat land hard on FER: FER-vuhnt-lee. The last two syllables stay light and quick, with vuhnt-lee falling away quietly after the strong first beat. If the ending starts sounding as heavy as the start, tighten it back up: FER-vuhnt-lee, not fer-VUNT-lee.

Keep reading

All articles

pronunciation

how to pronounce unrequited

Pronouncing unrequited: a say-it guide

pronunciation

how to pronounce accustomed

Pronunciation of 'accustomed' with verified sound, stress and variety information

pronunciation

how to pronounce probably

**Pronunciation:** /ˈprɒbəbli/, stress on the first syllable: **PROB**-uh-blee. This transcription shows a British-style vowel, the one most dictionaries print for this word. In relaxed everyday speech you will very often hear it reduced to **PROB-lee**, with the middle syllable nearly gone. Both are fine; the reduced form is simply the casual version. Say it with these cues: 1. Start with **PROB**, giving the first syllable the strongest push. Round your lips slightly for the short **o** sound. 2. Let the **uh** in the middle stay small and quick, barely more than a soft schwa. 3. End with **blee**, light and unstressed, so the word falls away gently after the first beat. Try it in a phrase: > *I'll probably be late.* Contrast the careful form with the reduced one so your ear learns both: **PROB**-uh-blee next to **PROB-lee**. Quick check: which of these is the common reduced form of 'probably' in relaxed speech, PROB-uh-blee or PROB-lee? Pick one and say it aloud before you read on. PROB-lee is the reduced one; PROB-uh-blee is the fuller dictionary-style form. If you picked PROB-lee, nice ear for casual speech. If you picked PROB-uh-blee, you chose the careful form, which is still perfectly correct. Want to keep going? Read the next word's say-it guide and try the same careful-then-reduced comparison.

pronunciation

how to pronounce drizzling

patient speech coach say-it guide

pronunciation

how to pronounce highly

Say-it guide for the pronunciation of highly, with stress and sounds, physical cues, and a speakable phrase.

pronunciation

can pronounce

Pronunciation of 'can pronounce'