How to pronounce under in American English

IPA /ˈʌndər/ Syllables 2 · uhn·der Stress 1st syllable

UHN·der

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Americans pronounce under as UHN-der (/ˈʌndər/). 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%

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

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.

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Why it sounds different

Why "under" sounds like UHN·der.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, a tiny act of laziness that makes the rhythm feel right. It comes out as UHN·der.

In real conversation

Hear "under" in the wild.

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

"He observed the cells under a high-powered microscope."

hee uhb·ZURVD dhuh SEHLZ UHN·der uh HAHY POW·erd MAHY·kruh·skohp

"I bet the wooden bat is still under the bed."

ahy BEHT dhuh WUU·duhn BAT ihz STIHL UHN·der dhuh BEHD

"I have been feeling under the weather for the past few days."

ahy hav bihn FEE·luhng UHN·der dhuh WEH·dher fer dhuh PAST FYOO DAYZ

"She claimed that the contract was signed under duress."

shee KLAYMD dhuht dhuh KAHN·trakt wuhz SAHYND UHN·der duu·REHS

"She hired a plumber to fix the persistent leak under the sink."

shee HAHY·erd uh PLUH·mer tuh FIHKS dhuh per·SIH·stuhnt LEEK UHN·der dhuh SIHNGK

"Social media platforms are under scrutiny for spreading misinformation."

SOH·shuhl MEE·dee·uh PLAT·formz er UHN·der SKROO·duh·nee fer SPREH·duhng mih·sihn·fer·MAY·shuhn

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

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

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

uhn·DER→UHN·der

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 "under" stressed in American English?

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

How do I pronounce the R in "under"?

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 "under" 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 "UHN-der" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Why "under" sounds like UHN·der.

Hear "under" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Questions people ask about this.

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