Pronunciation

How to pronounce “element

“element” is pronounced /ˈɛləmənt/ (E-luh-muhnt) in American English and /ɛlɪmənt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “el”.
The sound

Say “element” in 3 beats

Say it like this

element

/ˈɛləmənt/

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

3 beats
  1. elɛstress
  2. em
  3. entmənt
IPA (American)
/ˈɛləmənt/
IPA (British)
/ɛlɪmənt/
Respelling
E-luh-muhnt
Syllables
3 — EL-em-ent
Stress
Stress the first syllable: EL-em-ent. “el” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈɛləmənt/

British

/ɛlɪmənt/

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

Meaning

What “element” means

  1. noun

    an abstract part of something

    jealousy was a component of his character

  2. noun

    an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system

    spare components for cars

  3. noun

    any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter

Say it in a sentence

Trust is the one element this arrangement cannot do without.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 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

element”, answered

How do you pronounce “element”?

“element” is pronounced /ˈɛləmənt/ (E-luh-muhnt) in American English and /ɛlɪmənt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “el”. Build it as EL-em-ent, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “element” have?

3: el · em · ent. The beat lands on the first, “el”.

Is “element” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈɛləmənt/ (E-luh-muhnt); British English says /ɛlɪmənt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “element” mean?

As a noun: an abstract part of something For example: “jealousy was a component of his character” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “element”?

Stress the first syllable: EL-em-ent. “el” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “element” 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.