Pronunciation

How to pronounce “greater

“greater” is pronounced /ˈɡɹeɪtɚ/ (GRAY-tuh) in American English and /ɡɹeɪtə/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “great”.
The sound

Say “greater” in 2 beats

Say it like this

greater

/ˈɡɹeɪtɚ/

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

2 beats
  1. greatɡɹeɪstress
  2. er
IPA (American)
/ˈɡɹeɪtɚ/
IPA (British)
/ɡɹeɪtə/
Respelling
GRAY-tuh
Syllables
2 — GREAT-er
Stress
Stress the first syllable: GREAT-er. “great” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈɡɹeɪtɚ/

British

/ɡɹeɪtə/

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

Meaning

What “greater” means

  1. adjective

    greater in size or importance or degree

    for the greater good of the community

  2. adjective

    relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

    a great juicy steak

  3. adjective

    of major significance or importance

    a great work of art

Say it in a sentence

The new bridge offers greater access to the eastern side of town.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

greater”, answered

How do you pronounce “greater”?

“greater” is pronounced /ˈɡɹeɪtɚ/ (GRAY-tuh) in American English and /ɡɹeɪtə/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “great”. Build it as GREAT-er, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “greater” have?

2: great · er. The beat lands on the first, “great”.

Is “greater” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈɡɹeɪtɚ/ (GRAY-tuh); British English says /ɡɹeɪtə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “greater” mean?

As an adjective: greater in size or importance or degree For example: “for the greater good of the community” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “greater”?

Stress the first syllable: GREAT-er. “great” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “greater” 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.