How to pronounce XENOPHOBIA | American English

29 Nov 2016 · 3 min

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2:39

YouTube pronunciation lesson by Hadar Shemesh explaining how to say the word "xenophobia." The speaker cites Merriam-Webster's definition ("fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners, or of anything that is strange or foreign") then gives a step-by-step phonetic breakdown: initial "z" sound, the "en" with a reduced schwa, then the "phobia" segment (f + diphthong + b+y+schwa). The speaker identifies the "fo" syllable as the primary stress (longer and higher in pitch), models example sentences ("He's a xenophobe; he suffers from xenophobia"), and closes with standard YouTube outro and subscription request. Tone is casual, humorous, and instructional.

Questions this video answers

"Fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners, or of anything that is strange or foreign."

The "fo" syllable (the 'phobia' 'fo' is the primary stress; described as longer and higher in pitch).

Chapters

Hey guys, it's Hadar. And this is the accent's way, your way to finding clarity, confidence and freedom in English. I recently received a question from my most loyal fan, Donny J, who is asking how to pronounce the word xenophobia. According to Merriam Webster dictionary, xenophobia is fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners, or of anything that is strange or foreign. So let's get started. We begin with a Z sound, as in zoo. And then the E. Oh my God, it's not an X, it's a Z. Ugh. Why couldn't they just put a z there? God. This word was probably brought by a bunch of foreigners. Excuse me, but this is my frame. What's up in all these how to pronounce videos anyway? I mean, can't you just speak English? Alright, xenophobia, whatever. Where were we? Xenophobia. We begin with a Z sound, then the as in red ze. Then it's the N sound and a schwa, a reduced vowel. So the jaw drops just a bit. The lips are relaxed, the tongue is relaxed, everything is relaxed. Very small, Zen. And then it's the word phobia. And that's actually how you pronounce the word phobia. It's an f sound. And then the O as in go fo. It's a diphthong. So go through the entire vowel. Make sure to round your lips at the end. Fo. So it's not phobia, fo, but fo. Relax your jaw. Then it's be as in be yourself. A Y sound as in yes. And a schwa, Y, Y, B. Phobia. Phobia. Xenophobia. The fo is the primary stress of the word, so it's a little longer and higher in pitch than the rest of the syllables. Xenophobia. He's a xenophobe. He suffers from xenophobia. Alright, that's it. I hope you never have to use this word, but we're reaching 2017 and unfortunately you might have to use this word. So now you know how to say it. Have a wonderful week. Please share this video with your friends, your family, your colleagues, your neighbors, if you liked it. And don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Have a wonderful week and I'll see you hopefully next week in the next video. Bye.