How to Pronounce “sherbet”

American (US)

/ˈʃɜːrbət/

British (UK)

/ˈʃɜːbət/

noun — A frozen fruit dessert, or, in British English, a fizzy sweet powder.

Example: They finished the meal with lemon sherbet.

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

sherbet (noun): A frozen fruit dessert, or, in British English, a fizzy sweet powder. For example — They finished the meal with lemon sherbet.

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

American English: /ˈʃɜːrbət/. British English: /ˈʃɜːbət/. Play both on this page to hear the difference.

What is the IPA transcription of "sherbet"?

/ˈʃɜːrbət/ in American English, /ˈʃɜːbət/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "sherbet"?

“sherbet” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈʃɜːrbət/ 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.

• Commonly mispronounced words