How To Pronounce Idle

idle

Phonemic

/ˈaɪ.dəl/

Phonetic

[ˈaɪ.dl̩]

Phonemic

/ˈaɪ.dəl/

In British English, idle is pronounced /ˈaɪ.dəl/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈaɪ.dl̩]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈaɪ.dəl/.

Idle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first syllable. British and American speakers say it the same way.

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

aɪdəl

Idle 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.

idle + -er

-er (comparative) is /ə/ in UK English and /ɚ/ in US English. The /ə/ before the /l/ drops out, so the /l/ and the ending share a syllable.

/ˈaɪ.dlə/

/ˈaɪ.dlɚ/

idle + -est

-est (superlative) is always /ɪst/. The /ə/ before the /l/ drops out, so the /l/ and the ending share a syllable.

/ˈaɪ.dlɪst/

Words That Rhyme With Idle

Questions About Idle

How do you pronounce idle in British English?

In British English, idle is pronounced /ˈaɪ.dəl/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈaɪ.dl̩].

How do you pronounce idle in American English?

In American English, idle is pronounced /ˈaɪ.dəl/.

How many syllables are in idle?

Idle has two syllables, /aɪ/ + /dəl/.

Where is the stress in idle?

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

Do British and American English pronounce idle the same way?

Yes. Both are /ˈaɪ.dəl/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

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