Pronunciation of Newfoundland

Newfoundland  is a large island and also the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The official name used to be Newfoundland, but in 2001 it was changed to Newfoundland and Labrador. The name Newfoundland can be pronounced in many ways.

Newfoundlanders say [nufIndlænd] or [nufInlænd] with stress on the third syllable. In the second syllable a schwa can be used instead of the high front unrounded lax vowel. The d of the second syllable is often dropped.

Other English speakers often place the stress on the first syllable of the word and produce a schwa or high front unrounded lax vowel in the second and third syllables. The d of the second syllable can also be dropped. If the high front unrounded lax vowel is used, it can be illustrated with [nufIndlInd]. Also possible is the pronunciation of new with a palatal glide. In this case the pronunciation is [njufIndlInd].

Also possible is to place the stress on the second syllable. In this case the second syllable is pronounced [faund]. With second-syllable stress, the island of Newfoundland is pronounced [nufaundlInd] or [njufaundlInd]. The vowel of the third possible can also be pronounced with a schwa rather than a high front unrounded lax vowel.

The island of Newfoundland can be pronounced in many ways. The stress can be placed on the first, second or third syllable. The first syllable can pronounced with or without the patalal glide. The second syllable can be pronounced with or without the d, but the d is maintained when the second syllable is stressed and the vowel is a diphthong. In the unstressed syllables, the vowel can be a high front unrounded lax vowel or a schwa. Speakers from Newfoundland and Labrador stress the final syllable of Newfoundland.