How to pronounce neighborhood in American English

IPA /ˈneɪbərˌhʊd/ Syllables 3 · nay·ber·huud Stress 1st syllable

NAY·ber·huud

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Americans pronounce neighborhood as NAY-ber-huud (/ˈneɪbərˌhʊd/). The R is one continuous sound with the vowel — the tongue curls back rather than rolling. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "neighborhood", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. Air stops but there's no release burst — the articulators hold position.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch NAY — keep everything else short and quick.

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Why it sounds different

Why "neighborhood" sounds like NAY·ber·HUUD.

In "neighborhood", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. This is called the Unreleased Stops, a small move that separates 'classroom' from 'native'. It comes out as NAY·ber·HUUD.

In real conversation

Hear "neighborhood" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"I cannot believe how much the neighborhood has changed recently."

ahy KA·naht buh·LEEV HOW muhch dhuh NAY·ber·huud huhz CHAYNJD REE·suhnt·lee

"She attended a neighborhood watch meeting to discuss safety."

shee uh·TEHN·duhd uh NAY·ber·huud WAHCH MEE·duhng tuh duh·SKUHS SAYF·tee

"The mural on the side of the building brightens up the neighborhood."

dhuh MYOO·ruhl ahn dhuh SAHYD uhv dhuh BIHL·duhng BRAHY·tuhnz UHP dhuh NAY·ber·huud

"The noise in the north neighborhood is normal."

dhuh NOYZ ihn dhuh NORTH NAY·ber·huud ihz NOR·muhl

"The patrol car monitored the neighborhood throughout the night."

dhuh puh·TROHL KAR MAH·nuh·terd dhuh NAY·ber·huud throo·OWT dhuh NAHYT

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "neighborhood", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. Air stops but there's no release burst — the articulators hold position.

neighborhood→NAY·ber·HUUD

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch NAY — keep everything else short and quick.

nay·BER·HUUD→NAY·ber·HUUD

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Americans use a relaxed retroflex R — the tongue curls back rather than rolling. The R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it, not two separate sounds.

… (no R)→… r (curl the tongue)

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "neighborhood" stressed in American English?

Stress falls on the first syllable — say "NAY" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "NAY-ber-huud" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.

How do I pronounce the R in "neighborhood"?

Americans use a relaxed retroflex R: the tongue curls back rather than rolling, and the R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it — not two separate sounds. Don't try to pronounce a separate vowel followed by a separate R. Treat them as a single shape.

Is the American pronunciation of "neighborhood" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "NAY-ber-huud" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Why "neighborhood" sounds like NAY·ber·HUUD.

Hear "neighborhood" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Questions people ask about this.

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