Pronunciation
How to pronounce “careful”
“careful” is pronounced /kɛɹfəl/ — 2 syllables.
The sound
Say “careful”
careful
/kɛɹfəl/
Say it right
2 syllables. Stress the 'kɛɹf' part (say it longer and louder) and let the others relax — unstressed vowels often soften to a lazy /ə/.Meaning
exercising caution or showing care or attention
“they were careful when crossing the busy street”
This entry is generated live and has not been through our editorial check yet, so it carries no British transcription and no mistake notes. Browse the checked dictionary.
Practise this word
Now say “careful” yourself
Record it and sayit shows you exactly which sounds landed and which to fix — free, private, in your browser.