How To Pronounce Well
well
UK
Phonemic
/wel/
Phonetic
[weɫ]
US
Phonemic
/wel/
In British English, well is pronounced /wel/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [weɫ]. In American English, it is pronounced /wel/.
Well 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
wel
Well has one syllable in British English.
well + -s
-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.
UK
/welz/
US
/welz/
well + -ed
-ed (past tense or past participle) is /d/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.
UK
/weld/
US
/weld/
well + -ing
-ing is always /ɪŋ/.
UK
/ˈwel.ɪŋ/
US
/ˈwel.ɪŋ/
Words That Rhyme With Well
Questions About Well
How do you pronounce well in British English?
In British English, well is pronounced /wel/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [weɫ].
How do you pronounce well in American English?
In American English, well is pronounced /wel/.
Do British and American English pronounce well the same way?
Yes. Both are /wel/.
Nearby Words
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