where
/wâr, hwâr/
conjunction
  1. At, to, or in a place in which.
    He lives where the climate is mild. We should go where it is quieter.
  2. At, to, or in a situation in which.
    I want to know where you expect the project to be in six months.
  3. At, to, or in any place in which; wherever.
    Sit where you like.
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition. More at Wordnik
As an Australian English speaker I’m imagining someone saying on a mobile phone: “I’m in a tram now, heading down Smith Street. Where’re you?” I’d pronounce it with an intrusive R in the middle of the two contracted words. So a non-rhotic Australian “where” /wɛə/ added to non-rhotic and unstressed “are” /ə(ɹ)/ produces a distinct R sound between them. It sounds a bit like “Weh-Rah you?” to a rhotic speaker. Answer from LanewayRat on reddit.com
🌐
ELSA
elsaspeak.com › en › learn-english › how-to-pronounce › where
How to Pronounce WHERE in American English | ELSA Speak
Practice pronunciation of the word where with ELSA advanced technology and say where like Americans.
🌐
Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › pronunciation › english › where
WHERE | Pronunciation in English
WHERE pronunciation. How to say WHERE. Listen to the audio pronunciation in English. Learn more.
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/english › how to pronounce 'where're' in british english
r/ENGLISH on Reddit: How to pronounce 'where're' in British English
December 16, 2022 -

Hi everyone, I have a question for native speakers of British English or any other non-rhotic varieties. When I'm reading Harry Potter my inner voice switches to a traditional RP pronunciation for obvious reasons. However, I had a hard time trying to guess the pronunciation of 'where're'. How would you say that? Thanks

Top answer
1 of 7
4
As an Australian English speaker I’m imagining someone saying on a mobile phone: “I’m in a tram now, heading down Smith Street. Where’re you?” I’d pronounce it with an intrusive R in the middle of the two contracted words. So a non-rhotic Australian “where” /wɛə/ added to non-rhotic and unstressed “are” /ə(ɹ)/ produces a distinct R sound between them. It sounds a bit like “Weh-Rah you?” to a rhotic speaker.
2 of 7
4
I pronounce it "wearer you?". I have heard it pronounced almost without that last syllable being spoken..."Where you?"
Videos
09:14
🌐 YouTube
How to Pronounce WHERE, WERE, WE'RE & WEIRD - British Pronunciation ...
July 31, 2020
01:10
🌐 YouTube
How to Pronounce "Where" and "Were" - YouTube
July 27, 2016
🌐 m.youtube.com
How to Pronounce WHERE - #SHORTS Quick English ...
00:16
🌐 YouTube
How to Pronounce WHERE - #SHORTS Quick English Pronunciation Mini ...
December 4, 2021
View all
View all
🌐
Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › dictionary › eb › audio
How to Pronounce where - (Audio) | Britannica Dictionary
Meta description: Hear the pronunciation of where in American English, spoken by real native speakers. From North America's leading language experts, Britannica Dictionary
🌐
EasyPronunciation
easypronunciation.com › en › english › word › where
Where — Pronunciation: HD Slow Audio + Phonetic Transcription
How to pronounce 'where' in English. Normal and slow speed HD audio recordings and phonetic transcription written with International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
🌐
Theaccentchannelfreelessons
theaccentchannelfreelessons.com › blog › how-to-pronounce-where-and-were
Mastering the Difference Between Where and Were
If English is not your first language, (and maybe even if it is!) the pronunciation of "where" and "were" may sound similar, but there are small differences that will help you decipher between them.
🌐
Forvo
forvo.com › word › where
where pronunciation: How to pronounce where in English, Dutch
Pronunciation guide: Learn how to pronounce where in English, Dutch with native pronunciation. where translation and audio pronunciation
Find elsewhere
🌐
Get Pronounce
getpronounce.com › how-to-pronounce › where
How to pronounce "where"
To pronounce where correctly, place emphasis on the initial ‘wh’ sound (like blowing out a quick burst of air) before transitioning to the ‘air’ sound. Listen to native speakers in videos or use tools like Pronounce AI to hear variations. Repeating the word daily and recording your voice on getpronounce.com can help refine your pronunciation.
🌐
How to Pronounce
howtopronounce.com › home › where
Where Pronunciation
Top answer
1 of 1
19
wer
🌐
YouGlish
youglish.com › pronounce › where › english › us
Where | 1359050 pronunciations of Where in American English
Self-record & review: Record yourself saying 'where' in sentences. Listen back to identify areas for improvement. YouTube Pronunciation Guides: Search YouTube for how to pronounce 'where' in English.
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/englishlearning › do you pronounce: we're, were, where and wear, the same way?
r/EnglishLearning on Reddit: Do you pronounce: we're, were, where and wear, the same way?
June 14, 2020 -

Hi, everyone. I can't hear the differences of these words. Can you explain it to me with the phonetic alphabet, please?

Top answer
1 of 14
90
I am from Chicago in the USA so this is how I would pronounce it: we're : weer ... the last part of this word when I say it is similar to the body part ear: https://voca.ro/6N4oc5w0loU were: wur ... when I say this word, the last part sounds like the beginning of earth: https://voca.ro/oiEINk3pkpU where/wear: wir (I'm not sure how to write with phonetic alphabet) but the last part sounds like the word air. These two sound the same when I say them: https://voca.ro/dlDBno6MEVR (where) https://voca.ro/mAXXm0bz31b (wear) Please let me know if that was confusing at all. Hope this helps!
2 of 14
11
I've been told my english pronunciations are fairly accurate, so I'll try and contribute to this post. Oh and I speak in an American accent so the analogies used is pronounced in that way as well. We're: we ear, said quickly or shortened together (fused?). Were: W with irk but without the k. Wir (wurh) Where: pretty much same as wear, w sound in front and air at the end. Wair. I'm not that great at explaining sounds, so this is the most I could do. Sorry!
🌐
Forvo
forvo.com › word › where's
where's pronunciation: How to pronounce where's in English
Pronunciation guide: Learn how to pronounce where's in English with native pronunciation. where's translation and audio pronunciation
🌐
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Pronounce: Where Is - YouTube
02:01
Hello! I’m John Russell.Let’s continue our exploration of common words, phrases, and questions.In recent lessons studied expressions such as “Excuse me,” “Th...
Published   March 24, 2024
🌐
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Pronounce WHERE, WERE, WE'RE & WEIRD - British Pronunciation - YouTube
09:14
Learn how to pronounce "where", "were", "we're" & "weird" with clear British pronunciation. These words are very important to everyday English, so we should ...
Published   July 31, 2020
🌐
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english › where_1
where adverb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
Definition of where adverb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
🌐
Stack Exchange
ell.stackexchange.com › questions › 202691 › the-correct-pronunciation-of-where-is
british english - The correct pronunciation of "where is" - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
Top answer
1 of 2
2

The dictionaries give [we(ə)ʹrın] for 'wherein', so I guess it's [we(ə)ʹrız] for 'where is' (both pronunciations are possible).

2 of 2
1

Both are common and correct. The pronunciation, especially that of vowels, varies from dialect to dialect; however in contemporary RP, it's usually pronounced [wɛːɹɪz] (or [weːɹɪz]). In British English, /e/ is halfway between [e] and [ɛ], but then again, it depends on the speaker.

🌐
Stack Exchange
ell.stackexchange.com › questions › 73019 › how-to-pronounce-wherere-in-english
pronunciation - How to pronounce "Where're" in English? - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
Top answer
1 of 2
4

I'm an American English speaker.

At the end of where, my mouth is already in the right shape to say the /r/ sound for 're. So I just keep my mouth in the same position and keep making the same /r/ sound.

There may also be a brief dip in intensity marking the boundary between the two /r/ sounds. In other words, my voice may very briefly get quieter in the middle, separating the sound into where and 're. This is called rearticulation.

2 of 2
0

I'm a native speaker with an amalgamation of American, Canadian, and slightly British accents (due to my upbringing). I say the word where first, with my tongue slightly pulled back at the end of the word then I slightly emphasise the 're — not particularly louder but to show it as separate from the word where and do so by pulling my tongue back a little more.

I do that or just emphasise and slightly lengthen the end of the word where to show I'm asking about the location of something.

Here are some links from Forvo (a great online pronunciation dictionary) to the words "where" and "where're". I'd compare the male American pronunciations of the word where to the sole pronunciation of the word where're to differentiate the entries best.

  1. where: http://forvo.com/word/where/#en
  2. where're: http://forvo.com/word/where%27re/#en
🌐
Bespeaking
bespeaking.com › vocabulary › were, where, we’re, & wear – pronunciation and meaning
Were and Where, We're, and Wear- Pronunciation: Bespeaking!
February 3, 2023 - In English, you can usually easily identify “question words” in a sentence because they start with W- and come at the beginning of a sentence. Where is one of these question words (the others are what, why, when, who, and how, which is the exception to the rule).
🌐
Collins Dictionary
collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english-pronunciations › where
WHERE - English pronunciations | Collins
To access it, add this site to the exceptions or modify your security settings, then refresh this page. British English: hweəʳ American English: wɛər · Example sentences including 'where' Where did you meet him?