How to pronounce "headquarters"

headquarters

Noun
American
/ˈhɛdˌkwɔrtərz/

Syllable Breakdown

head quar ters

How natives say headquarters

British
/ˈhɛdˌkwɔːtəz/

Syllable Breakdown

head quar ters

How natives say headquarters

Pronunciation Guide In American

Pronunciation Steps

  • Start with 'head', pronounce it as 'hed'.

  • Next, say 'quar' like 'kwor'.

  • Finish with 'ters', where 't' is light, followed by 'ərz'.

Common Mistakes

  • head-qua-ters

  • hed-quart-ers

  • had-kwart-ers

Pronunciation Guide In British

Pronunciation Steps

  • Start with 'head', pronounce it as 'hed'.

  • Next, say 'quar' like 'kwaw'.

  • Finish with 'ters', articulating a softer 't' followed by 'əz'.

common mistakes

  • head-qua-ters

  • hed-kwart-ers

  • had-kwaw-ters

FAQ

How do you stress the word?

The primary stress is on the first syllable: 'HEAD-quarters'.

Is the 't' sound pronounced?

Yes, but lightly in American English; more pronounced in British English.

Is there a difference in vowel sounds?

Yes, 'quar' is 'kwor' in AmE, and 'kwaw' in BrE.

Definition

headquarters

The main office or center of operations for an organization.

Word Family

head

/hɛd/

noun

Top part of the body

Example: My head hurts.

quarter

/ˈkwɔrtər/

noun

One-fourth

Example: He gave me a quarter.

headship

/ˈhɛdʃɪp/

noun

Position of leader

Example: She took headship.

Key Pronunciation Differences

Headquarters has more syllables than 'head' and different stress.

The 'quar' sound in 'quarter' is integral to 'headquarters'.

'Headship' uses a different ending sound than 'headquarters'.

Pro Tips

Tip for Mastering Stress

Practice emphasizing the first syllable to get the stress right.

Vowel Sound Clarity

Listen carefully to audio examples to distinguish subtle vowel differences between AmE and BrE.

Nearby Words

Test Your Pronunciation On Words That Have Sound Similarities With Headquarters

adjoin

/əˈdʒɔɪn/

apartment

/əˈpɑrt.mənt/

applicable

/ˈæplɪkəbl̩/

arise

/əˈraɪz/

avenue

/ˈæv.ə.nuː/

backstage

/bækˈsteɪdʒ/

bench

/bɛntʃ/

beside

/bɪˈsaɪd/