Pronunciation

How to pronounce “behalf

“behalf” is pronounced /bɪˈhæf/ (bi-HAF) in American English and /bɪhɑːf/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “alf”.
The sound

Say “behalf” in 2 beats

Say it like this

behalf

/bɪˈhæf/

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

2 beats
  1. beh
  2. alfhæfstress
IPA (American)
/bɪˈhæf/
IPA (British)
/bɪhɑːf/
Respelling
bi-HAF
Syllables
2 — beh-ALF
Stress
Stress the second syllable: beh-ALF. “alf” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/bɪˈhæf/

British

/bɪhɑːf/

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

Meaning

What “behalf” means

  1. noun

    as the agent of or on someone's part (usually expressed as rather than )

    on behalf of

  2. noun

    for someone's benefit (usually expressed as `in behalf' rather than `on behalf' and usually with a possessive)

    in your behalf

Say it in a sentence

He signed the papers on behalf of his elderly mother.
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

behalf”, answered

How do you pronounce “behalf”?

“behalf” is pronounced /bɪˈhæf/ (bi-HAF) in American English and /bɪhɑːf/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “alf”. Build it as beh-ALF, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “behalf” have?

2: beh · alf. The beat lands on the second, “alf”.

Is “behalf” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /bɪˈhæf/ (bi-HAF); British English says /bɪhɑːf/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “behalf” mean?

As a noun: as the agent of or on someone's part (usually expressed as rather than ) For example: “on behalf of” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “behalf”?

Stress the second syllable: beh-ALF. “alf” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “behalf” 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.