How to pronounce “external”
Say “external” in 3 beats
external
/ɪkˈstɝnəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɛkstɜːnəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- exɪk
- terstɝstress
- nalnəl
- IPA (American)
- /ɪkˈstɝnəl/
- IPA (British)
- /ɛkstɜːnəl/
- Respelling
- ik-STUR-nuhl
- Syllables
- 3 — ex-TER-nal
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: ex-TER-nal. “ter” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall 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
/ɪkˈstɝnəl/
/ɛkstɜːnəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “external” means
- noun
outward features
“he enjoyed the solemn externals of religion”
- adjective
happening or arising or located outside or beyond some limits or especially surface
“the external auditory canal”
- adjective
coming from the outside
“extraneous light in the camera spoiled the photograph”
Say it in a sentence
“The external walls need repointing before the winter comes.”“external”, answered
How do you pronounce “external”?
“external” is pronounced /ɪkˈstɝnəl/ (ik-STUR-nuhl) in American English and /ɛkstɜːnəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “ter”. Build it as ex-TER-nal, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “external” have?
3: ex · ter · nal. The beat lands on the second, “ter”.
Is “external” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ɪkˈstɝnəl/ (ik-STUR-nuhl); British English says /ɛkstɜːnəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “external” mean?
As a noun: outward features For example: “he enjoyed the solemn externals of religion” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “external”?
Stress the second syllable: ex-TER-nal. “ter” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “external” 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.