Pronunciation

How to pronounce “hell”

“hell” is pronounced /hɛl/ (HEL) — one syllable.

The sound

Say “hell” in one beat

Say it like this

hell

/hɛl/

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

1 beat

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

Meaning

noun
any place of pain and turmoil
“the hell of battle”
noun
a cause of difficulty and suffering
“war is hell”
noun
(Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment; - John Milton; ; -Dr. Johnson
“Hurl'd headlong...To bottomless perdition, there to dwell”

Say it in a sentence

“She said the exam was hell, but she still passed easily.”

Sound by sound

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

How do you pronounce “hell”?

“hell” is pronounced /hɛl/ (HEL) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /hɛl/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “hell” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /hɛl/ — a single beat.

What does “hell” mean?

As a noun: any place of pain and turmoil For example: “the hell of battle” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “hell”?

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

Practise this word

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.