How To Pronounce Lay off
lay off
stress changesLay off has more than one pronunciation, depending on how it is used.
Verb. It is /ˌleɪˈɒf/ in British English and /ˌleɪˈɔːf/ in American English with the main stress on the second syllable.
Noun (layoff). It is /ˈleɪ.ɒf/ in British English and /ˈleɪ.ɔːf/ in American English with the main stress on the first syllable.
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 (Verb)
Lay off has two syllables in British English, and the main stress is on the second syllable, shown in colour above. Its stress pattern is oO, where O is the stressed syllable.
Syllables And Stress (Noun (layoff))
Lay off 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.
Questions About Lay off
How do you pronounce lay off in British English?
Verb, /ˌleɪˈɒf/. Noun (layoff), /ˈleɪ.ɒf/.
How do you pronounce lay off in American English?
Verb, /ˌleɪˈɔːf/. Noun (layoff), /ˈleɪ.ɔːf/.
How many syllables are in lay off?
Lay off has two syllables, /leɪ/ + /ɒf/.
Where is the stress in lay off?
The main stress is on the second syllable, /ɒf/.
More Words Where The Stress Changes
Other Words With The Stress Pattern oO
Nearby Words
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