How to pronounce “family”
Say “family” in 2 beats
family
/ˈfæmli/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈfamɪli/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- fæmfæmstress
- lili
- IPA (American)
- /ˈfæmli/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈfamɪli/
- Also accepted
- /ˈfæməli/
- Respelling
- FAM-lee
- Syllables
- 2 — FÆM-li
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: FÆM-li. “fæm” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈfæmli/
/ˈfamɪli/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Also accepted
/ˈfæməli/Where “family” goes wrong
- Often heard
“fuh-MIL-ee”
the stress is on the first syllable and the middle vowel often drops
What “family” means
- noun
a social unit living together
“he moved his family to Virginia”
- noun
primary social group; parents and children
“he wanted to have a good job before starting a family”
- noun
a collection of things sharing a common attribute
“there are two classes of detergents”
Say it in a sentence
“My whole family gathers at my grandmother's house every December.”“family”, answered
How do you pronounce “family”?
“family” is pronounced /ˈfæmli/ (FAM-lee) in American English and /ˈfamɪli/ in British English, and /ˈfæməli/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “fæm”. Build it as FÆM-li, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “family” have?
2: fæm · li. The beat lands on the first, “fæm”. Read letter by letter it looks like 3 (fuh-MIL-ee), and that careful version is not wrong — but ordinary speech runs it to 2.
Is “family” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈfæmli/ (FAM-lee); British English says /ˈfamɪli/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “family” mean?
As a noun: a social unit living together For example: “he moved his family to Virginia” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “family”?
Stress the first syllable: FÆM-li. “fæm” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “family” 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.