How To Pronounce On the whole
on the whole
In British English, on the whole is pronounced /ɒn.ðəˈhəʊl/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ɒ̃n̪.ðəˈhəʊɫ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ɑːn.ðəˈhoʊl/.
On the whole has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the third 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
On the whole has three syllables in British English, and the main stress is on the third syllable, shown in colour above. Its stress pattern is ooO, where O is the stressed syllable.
Questions About On the whole
How do you pronounce on the whole in British English?
In British English, on the whole is pronounced /ɒn.ðəˈhəʊl/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ɒ̃n̪.ðəˈhəʊɫ].
How do you pronounce on the whole in American English?
In American English, on the whole is pronounced /ɑːn.ðəˈhoʊl/.
How many syllables are in on the whole?
On the whole has three syllables, /ɒn/ + /ðə/ + /həʊl/.
Where is the stress in on the whole?
The main stress is on the third syllable, /həʊl/.
Do British and American English pronounce on the whole the same way?
No. British English has /ɒn.ðəˈhəʊl/ and American English has /ɑːn.ðəˈhoʊl/.
Other Words With The Stress Pattern ooO
Nearby Words
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