How To Pronounce Light
light
UK
Phonemic
/laɪt/
Phonetic
[laɪt̚]
US
Phonemic
/laɪt/
In British English, light is pronounced /laɪt/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [laɪt̚]. In American English, it is pronounced /laɪt/.
Light has one 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
laɪt
Light has one syllable in British English.
light + -s
-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /s/ after a voiceless consonant.
UK
/laɪts/
US
/laɪts/
light + -ed
-ed (past tense or past participle) is /ɪd/ after /t/ or /d/.
UK
/ˈlaɪ.tɪd/
US
/ˈlaɪ.t̯ɪd/
light + -ing
-ing is always /ɪŋ/.
UK
/ˈlaɪ.tɪŋ/
US
/ˈlaɪ.t̯ɪŋ/
light + -er
-er (comparative) is /ə/ in UK English and /ɚ/ in US English.
UK
/ˈlaɪ.tə/
US
/ˈlaɪ.t̯ɚ/
light + -est
-est (superlative) is always /ɪst/.
UK
/ˈlaɪ.tɪst/
US
/ˈlaɪ.t̯ɪst/
Words That Rhyme With Light
Questions About Light
How do you pronounce light in British English?
In British English, light is pronounced /laɪt/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [laɪt̚].
How do you pronounce light in American English?
In American English, light is pronounced /laɪt/.
Do British and American English pronounce light the same way?
Yes. Both are /laɪt/.
Nearby Words
Learn English and Literature with Adroit Tutors on our website, and order course materials there too.
www.adroittutors.com