Pronunciation

How to pronounce “irreversible

“irreversible” is pronounced /ˌɪɹɪˈvɝsəbəl/ (i-ri-VUR-suh-buhl) in American English and /ɪɹɪvɜːsɪbəl/ in British English — 5 syllables, stressed on “er”.
The sound

Say “irreversible” in 5 beats

Say it like this

irreversible

/ˌɪɹɪˈvɝsəbəl/

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

5 beats
  1. irɪ
  2. revɹɪ
  3. erstress
  4. sib
  5. lebəl
IPA (American)
/ˌɪɹɪˈvɝsəbəl/
IPA (British)
/ɪɹɪvɜːsɪbəl/
Respelling
i-ri-VUR-suh-buhl
Syllables
5 — ir-rev-ER-sib-le
Stress
Stress the third syllable: ir-rev-ER-sib-le. “er” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˌɪɹɪˈvɝsəbəl/

British

/ɪɹɪvɜːsɪbəl/

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

Meaning

What “irreversible” means

  1. adjective

    incapable of being reversed

    irreversible momentum toward revolution

Say it in a sentence

The damage to the old fresco is sadly irreversible.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

8 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

irreversible”, answered

How do you pronounce “irreversible”?

“irreversible” is pronounced /ˌɪɹɪˈvɝsəbəl/ (i-ri-VUR-suh-buhl) in American English and /ɪɹɪvɜːsɪbəl/ in British English — 5 syllables, stressed on “er”. Build it as ir-rev-ER-sib-le, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “irreversible” have?

5: ir · rev · er · sib · le. The beat lands on the third, “er”.

Is “irreversible” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌɪɹɪˈvɝsəbəl/ (i-ri-VUR-suh-buhl); British English says /ɪɹɪvɜːsɪbəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “irreversible” mean?

As an adjective: incapable of being reversed For example: “irreversible momentum toward revolution”

Where is the stress in “irreversible”?

Stress the third syllable: ir-rev-ER-sib-le. “er” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “irreversible” 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.