How to pronounce “dilemma”
Say “dilemma” in 3 beats
dilemma
/dɪˈlɛmə/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /daɪlɛmə/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- dildɪ
- emlɛstress
- mamə
- IPA (American)
- /dɪˈlɛmə/
- IPA (British)
- /daɪlɛmə/
- Respelling
- di-LE-muh
- Syllables
- 3 — dil-EM-ma
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: dil-EM-ma. “em” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/dɪˈlɛmə/
/daɪlɛmə/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “dilemma” means
- noun
state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options
Say it in a sentence
“The dilemma was simple: leave early or miss the last talk.”“dilemma”, answered
How do you pronounce “dilemma”?
“dilemma” is pronounced /dɪˈlɛmə/ (di-LE-muh) in American English and /daɪlɛmə/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “em”. Build it as dil-EM-ma, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “dilemma” have?
3: dil · em · ma. The beat lands on the second, “em”.
Is “dilemma” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /dɪˈlɛmə/ (di-LE-muh); British English says /daɪlɛmə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “dilemma” mean?
As a noun: state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options For example: “The dilemma was simple: leave early or miss the last talk.”
Where is the stress in “dilemma”?
Stress the second syllable: dil-EM-ma. “em” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “dilemma” 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.