How to pronounce "turn off" in English — Connected Speech Guide (IPA /tɝˈnɑf/)

How native English speakers pronounce "turn off" (IPA /tɝˈnɑf/) — connected speech rule, example sentences, and audio for GA and RP. Free. n links into off: tur-noff

turn off pronunciation (IPA /tɝˈnɑf/) — Linking

What happens in this phrase

n links into off: tur-noff

Example sentences

Don't forget to turn off the lights.
Please turn off your phone.
Can you turn off the TV?
I'll turn off the heater now.

Common mistakes by native language

Japanese speakers

Mistake: Pronouncing it as "TAAN OFU" with a katakana schwa vowel and a full [u] on "off".

Why: Katakana English inserts vowels and cannot easily produce the English [ɜːr] or the tight [ɔːf] ending.

Fix: Link the n of "turn" onto the o of "off": [ˈtɜːrnˈɒf]. Say it as one word, "turnoff". The [ɜːr] vowel in "turn" is rhotacized (r-colored) in GA.

Korean speakers

Mistake: Producing a glottal reset before "off" and a heavy final f release.

Why: Korean prosody adds glottal onsets to word-initial vowels and treats fricatives with strong friction.

Fix: Let the n link straight to the [ɒ]: [ˈtɜːrnˈɒf]. Keep the final f short and light, not extended.

Spanish speakers

Mistake: Producing the r of "turn" as a rolled or tapped Spanish r, and voicing the final f to [v].

Why: Spanish r is a distinct tap/trill; English r is a light approximant. Spanish speakers also sometimes voice word-final consonants.

Fix: English r in "turn" is [ɹ], not [r] or [ɾ]. And keep f voiceless: [ˈtɜːrnˈɒf]. In RP, the r may be silent: [ˈtɜːnˈɒf].

Similar phrase patterns

turn on — n + vowel linking (opposite pair): Same n-linking, opposite meaning: [ˈtɜːrnˈɒn]. The pair "turn on / turn off" is a paradigm phrasal verb duo.
come on — m + vowel linking: Parallel structure with different final consonant: [ˈkʌmˈɒn]. Both illustrate linking to a following vowel.
put it on — consonant + vowel linking (3-word): [ˈpʊɾɪɾɒn]. Same phrasal verb family, more compression due to flap-t.

Practice sentences

Please turn off the lights when you leave. (polite request)
I need to turn off my phone for the meeting. (workplace context)
Can you turn off the TV, please? (household ask)
She forgot to turn off the stove. (safety narrative)
Turn off the tap — you're wasting water. (urging behavior)

Notes

"Turn off" is one half of the paradigm phrasal verb duo "turn on / turn off", and phonologically both illustrate n-linking across a word boundary. The n of "turn" slides directly into the vowel of "off", producing [ˈtɜːrnˈɒf]. In fast speech, this often reduces further to a single stress unit indistinguishable from a compound noun. The [ɜːr] vowel in "turn" is a hallmark of American English (rhotic r-coloring); British RP produces the same word without the audible r: [ˈtɜːnˈɒf]. Learners from non-rhotic backgrounds (many Asian and European speakers) benefit from picking either GA or RP consistently rather than mixing the two.