How To Pronounce Plain
plain
UK
Phonemic
/pleɪn/
Phonetic
[pl̥e͠ɪn]
US
Phonemic
/pleɪn/
In British English, plain is pronounced /pleɪn/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [pl̥e͠ɪn]. In American English, it is pronounced /pleɪn/.
Plain 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
pleɪn
Plain has one syllable in British English.
plain + -s
-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.
UK
/pleɪnz/
US
/pleɪnz/
plain + -er
-er (comparative) is /ə/ in UK English and /ɚ/ in US English.
UK
/ˈpleɪ.nə/
US
/ˈpleɪ.nɚ/
plain + -est
-est (superlative) is always /ɪst/.
UK
/ˈpleɪ.nɪst/
US
/ˈpleɪ.nɪst/
Words That Rhyme With Plain
Questions About Plain
How do you pronounce plain in British English?
In British English, plain is pronounced /pleɪn/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [pl̥e͠ɪn].
How do you pronounce plain in American English?
In American English, plain is pronounced /pleɪn/.
Do British and American English pronounce plain the same way?
Yes. Both are /pleɪn/.
Nearby Words
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