Pronunciation

How to pronounce “file

“file” is pronounced /faɪl/ (FYL) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “file” in one beat

Say it like this

file

/faɪl/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. filefaɪl
IPA (American)
/faɪl/
IPA (British)
/faɪl/
Respelling
FYL
Syllables
1 — file
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /faɪl/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Meaning

What “file” means

  1. noun

    a set of related records (either written or electronic) kept together

  2. noun

    a line of persons or things ranged one behind the other

  3. noun

    office furniture consisting of a container for keeping papers in order

Say it in a sentence

The file on that case fills two whole drawers.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 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

file”, answered

How do you pronounce “file”?

“file” is pronounced /faɪl/ (FYL) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /faɪl/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “file” have?

One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /faɪl/ — a single beat.

What does “file” mean?

As a noun: a set of related records (either written or electronic) kept together For example: “The file on that case fills two whole drawers.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “file”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /faɪl/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “file” 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.