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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “civil”

“civil” is pronounced /ˈsɪvəl/ (SI-vuhl) in American English and /sɪvəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “civ”.
The sound

Say “civil” in 2 beats

Say it like this

civil

/ˈsɪvəl/

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

2 beats
  1. civsɪstress
  2. ilvəl
IPA (American)
/ˈsɪvəl/
IPA (British)
/sɪvəl/
Respelling
SI-vuhl
Syllables
2 — CIV-il
Stress
Stress the first syllable: CIV-il. “civ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈsɪvəl/

British

/sɪvəl/

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

Meaning

What “civil” means

  1. adjective

    applying to ordinary citizens as contrasted with the military

    “civil authorities”

  2. adjective

    not rude; marked by satisfactory (or especially minimal) adherence to social usages and sufficient but not noteworthy consideration for others; - W.S. Maugham

    “even if he didn't like them he should have been civil”

  3. adjective

    of or occurring within the state or between or among citizens of the state

    “civil affairs”

Say it in a sentence

“The dispute ended up in a civil court instead.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 sounds, in the order you say them
ssɪshort ivvəschwall

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“civil”, answered

How do you pronounce “civil”?

“civil” is pronounced /ˈsɪvəl/ (SI-vuhl) in American English and /sɪvəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “civ”. Build it as CIV-il, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “civil” have?

2: civ · il. The beat lands on the first, “civ”.

Is “civil” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈsɪvəl/ (SI-vuhl); British English says /sɪvəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “civil” mean?

As an adjective: applying to ordinary citizens as contrasted with the military For example: “civil authorities” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “civil”?

Stress the first syllable: CIV-il. “civ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

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