How to Pronounce “chèvre”

American (US)

/ˈʃɛvɹə/

British (UK)

/ˈʃɛvɹə/

noun — A soft type originating in France, often formed in a cylinder.

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

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈʃɛvɹə/ 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 "chèvre" mean?

chèvre (noun): A soft type originating in France, often formed in a cylinder.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "chèvre", /ˈʃɛvɹə/, 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 "chèvre"?

/ˈʃɛvɹə/ in American English, /ˈʃɛvɹə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "chèvre"?

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