How To Pronounce Circle

circle

Phonemic

/ˈsɜː.kəl/

Phonetic

[ˈsɜːʴ.kl̩]

Phonemic

/ˈsɝː.kəl/

In British English, circle is pronounced /ˈsɜː.kəl/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsɜːʴ.kl̩]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈsɝː.kəl/.

Circle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

sɜːkəl

Circle has two syllables in British English, and the main stress is on the first syllable, shown in colour above. Its stress pattern is Oo, where O is the stressed syllable.

circle + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/ˈsɜː.kəlz/

/ˈsɝː.kəlz/

circle + -ed

-ed (past tense or past participle) is /d/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/ˈsɜː.kəld/

/ˈsɝː.kəld/

circle + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/ˈsɜː.kəl.ɪŋ/

/ˈsɝː.kəl.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Circle

encircle

Questions About Circle

How do you pronounce circle in British English?

In British English, circle is pronounced /ˈsɜː.kəl/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsɜːʴ.kl̩].

How do you pronounce circle in American English?

In American English, circle is pronounced /ˈsɝː.kəl/.

How many syllables are in circle?

Circle has two syllables, /sɜː/ + /kəl/.

Where is the stress in circle?

The main stress is on the first syllable, /sɜː/.

Do British and American English pronounce circle the same way?

No. British English has /ˈsɜː.kəl/ and American English has /ˈsɝː.kəl/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

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