How to pronounce “central”
Say “central” in 2 beats
central
/ˈsɛntɹəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /sɛntɹəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- centsɛnstress
- raltɹəl
- IPA (American)
- /ˈsɛntɹəl/
- IPA (British)
- /sɛntɹəl/
- Respelling
- SEN-truhl
- Syllables
- 2 — CENT-ral
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: CENT-ral. “cent” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈsɛntɹəl/
/sɛntɹəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “central” means
- noun
a workplace that serves as a telecommunications facility where lines from telephones can be connected together to permit communication
- adjective
serving as an essential component
“a cardinal rule”
- adjective
in or near a center or constituting a center; the inner area
“a central position”
Say it in a sentence
“The hotel is central enough to walk to most attractions.”“central”, answered
How do you pronounce “central”?
“central” is pronounced /ˈsɛntɹəl/ (SEN-truhl) in American English and /sɛntɹəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “cent”. Build it as CENT-ral, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “central” have?
2: cent · ral. The beat lands on the first, “cent”.
Is “central” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈsɛntɹəl/ (SEN-truhl); British English says /sɛntɹəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “central” mean?
As a noun: a workplace that serves as a telecommunications facility where lines from telephones can be connected together to permit communication For example: “The hotel is central enough to walk to most attractions.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “central”?
Stress the first syllable: CENT-ral. “cent” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “central” 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.