How to pronounce “authority”
Say “authority” in 4 beats
authority
/əˈθɔɹəti/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɐθɒɹɪti/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- autə
- horθɔstress
- itɹə
- yti
- IPA (American)
- /əˈθɔɹəti/
- IPA (British)
- /ɐθɒɹɪti/
- Respelling
- uh-THAW-ruh-tee
- Syllables
- 4 — aut-HOR-it-y
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: aut-HOR-it-y. “hor” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/əˈθɔɹəti/
/ɐθɒɹɪti/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “authority” means
- noun
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
“he has the authority to issue warrants”
- noun
(usually plural) persons who exercise (administrative) control over others
“the authorities have issued a curfew”
- noun
an expert whose views are taken as definitive
“he is an authority on corporate law”
Say it in a sentence
“Only the local authority can approve a change of use.”“authority”, answered
How do you pronounce “authority”?
“authority” is pronounced /əˈθɔɹəti/ (uh-THAW-ruh-tee) in American English and /ɐθɒɹɪti/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “hor”. Build it as aut-HOR-it-y, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “authority” have?
4: aut · hor · it · y. The beat lands on the second, “hor”.
Is “authority” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /əˈθɔɹəti/ (uh-THAW-ruh-tee); British English says /ɐθɒɹɪti/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “authority” mean?
As a noun: the power or right to give orders or make decisions For example: “he has the authority to issue warrants” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “authority”?
Stress the second syllable: aut-HOR-it-y. “hor” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “authority” 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.