Pronunciation

How to pronounce “cell

“cell” is pronounced /sɛl/ (SEL) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “cell” in one beat

Say it like this

cell

/sɛl/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. cellsɛl
IPA (American)
/sɛl/
IPA (British)
/sɛl/
Respelling
SEL
Syllables
1 — cell
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /sɛl/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Meaning

What “cell” means

  1. noun

    any small compartment

    the cells of a honeycomb

  2. noun

    (biology) the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals

  3. noun

    a device that delivers an electric current as the result of a chemical reaction

Say it in a sentence

He left his cell phone charging on the kitchen counter.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 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

cell”, answered

How do you pronounce “cell”?

“cell” is pronounced /sɛl/ (SEL) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /sɛl/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “cell” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /sɛl/ — a single beat.

What does “cell” mean?

As a noun: any small compartment For example: “the cells of a honeycomb” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “cell”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /sɛl/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “cell” 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.