Pronunciation

How to pronounce “animal

“animal” is pronounced /ˈænəməl/ (A-nuh-muhl) in American English and /anɪməl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “an”.
The sound

Say “animal” in 3 beats

Say it like this

animal

/ˈænəməl/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /anɪməl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

3 beats
  1. anæstress
  2. im
  3. alməl
IPA (American)
/ˈænəməl/
IPA (British)
/anɪməl/
Respelling
A-nuh-muhl
Syllables
3 — AN-im-al
Stress
Stress the first syllable: AN-im-al. “an” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈænəməl/

British

/anɪməl/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “animal” means

  1. noun

    a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

  2. adjective

    marked by the appetites and passions of the body

    animal instincts

Say it in a sentence

The vet examined the injured animal carefully before treating it.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

animal”, answered

How do you pronounce “animal”?

“animal” is pronounced /ˈænəməl/ (A-nuh-muhl) in American English and /anɪməl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “an”. Build it as AN-im-al, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “animal” have?

3: an · im · al. The beat lands on the first, “an”.

Is “animal” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈænəməl/ (A-nuh-muhl); British English says /anɪməl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “animal” mean?

As a noun: a living organism characterized by voluntary movement For example: “The vet examined the injured animal carefully before treating it.” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “animal”?

Stress the first syllable: AN-im-al. “an” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “animal” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.