How to Pronounce “awry”

American (US)

/əˈraɪ/

British (UK)

/əˈraɪ/

Australian (AU)

/əˈɹɑɪ/

adjective — Away from the expected or intended course; askew.

Example: The plan went awry the moment it started raining.

Synonyms: amiss, askew

Antonyms: as planned

Where the stress falls. “awry” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /əˈraɪ/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /əˈraɪ/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "awry" mean?

awry (adjective): Away from the expected or intended course; askew. For example — The plan went awry the moment it started raining.

How do you pronounce "awry" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "awry", /əˈraɪ/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "awry"?

/əˈraɪ/ in American English, /əˈraɪ/ in British English, /əˈɹɑɪ/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "awry"?

“awry” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /əˈraɪ/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

• Advanced pronunciation words