How to Pronounce “doubtful”

American (US)

/ˈdaʊtfəl/

British (UK)

/ˈdaʊtfəl/

adjective — Subject to, or causing doubt.

The b is silent. There is no /b/ sound in “doubtful”. The b was inserted into the spelling by Renaissance scholars to show the Latin ancestry of the word; it was never pronounced in English.

Where the stress falls. “doubtful” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdaʊtfəl/ 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. /ˈdaʊtfəl/ 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 "doubtful" mean?

doubtful (adjective): Subject to, or causing doubt.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "doubtful", /ˈdaʊtfəl/, 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 "doubtful"?

/ˈdaʊtfəl/ in American English, /ˈdaʊtfəl/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "doubtful"?

“doubtful” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdaʊtfəl/ 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.