How to pronounce “initial”
Say “initial” in 3 beats
initial
/ˌɪˈnɪʃəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɪnɪʃəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- inɪ
- itnɪstress
- ialʃəl
- IPA (American)
- /ˌɪˈnɪʃəl/
- IPA (British)
- /ɪnɪʃəl/
- Respelling
- i-NI-shuhl
- Syllables
- 3 — in-IT-ial
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: in-IT-ial. “it” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb, adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˌɪˈnɪʃəl/
/ɪnɪʃəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “initial” means
- noun
the first letter of a word (especially a person's name)
“he refused to put the initials FRS after his name”
- verb
mark with one's initials
- adjective
occurring at the beginning
“took the initial step toward reconciliation”
Say it in a sentence
“Write your initial in the box beside each entry.”The sounds inside this word
Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.
“initial”, answered
How do you pronounce “initial”?
“initial” is pronounced /ˌɪˈnɪʃəl/ (i-NI-shuhl) in American English and /ɪnɪʃəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “it”. Build it as in-IT-ial, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “initial” have?
3: in · it · ial. The beat lands on the second, “it”.
Is “initial” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˌɪˈnɪʃəl/ (i-NI-shuhl); British English says /ɪnɪʃəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “initial” mean?
As a noun: the first letter of a word (especially a person's name) For example: “he refused to put the initials FRS after his name” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “initial”?
Stress the second syllable: in-IT-ial. “it” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “initial” 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.