Pronunciation

How to pronounce “late

“late” is pronounced /leɪt/ (LAYT) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “late” in one beat

Say it like this

late

/leɪt/

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

1 beat
  1. lateleɪt
IPA (American)
/leɪt/
IPA (British)
/leɪt/
Respelling
LAYT
Syllables
1 — late
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /leɪt/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
adjective, adverb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Meaning

What “late” means

  1. adjective

    being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

    late evening

  2. adjective

    after the expected or usual time; delayed

    a belated birthday card

  3. adjective

    of the immediate past or just previous to the present time

    a late development

Say it in a sentence

They arrived late because of the traffic on the highway.
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

late”, answered

How do you pronounce “late”?

“late” is pronounced /leɪt/ (LAYT) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /leɪt/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “late” have?

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

What does “late” mean?

As an adjective: being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time For example: “late evening” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “late”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “late” 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.