How to pronounce “later”
Say “later” in 2 beats
later
/ˈleɪtɚ/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /leɪtə/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- latleɪstress
- ertɚ
- IPA (American)
- /ˈleɪtɚ/
- IPA (British)
- /leɪtə/
- Respelling
- LAY-tuh
- Syllables
- 2 — LAT-er
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: LAT-er. “lat” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective, adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈleɪtɚ/
/leɪtə/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “later” means
- adjective
coming at a subsequent time or stage
“without ulterior argument”
- adjective
at or toward an end or late period or stage of development
“the late phase of feudalism”
- adjective
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
“late evening”
Say it in a sentence
“We can finish the paperwork later this afternoon.”“later”, answered
How do you pronounce “later”?
“later” is pronounced /ˈleɪtɚ/ (LAY-tuh) in American English and /leɪtə/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “lat”. Build it as LAT-er, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “later” have?
2: lat · er. The beat lands on the first, “lat”.
Is “later” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈleɪtɚ/ (LAY-tuh); British English says /leɪtə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “later” mean?
As an adjective: coming at a subsequent time or stage For example: “without ulterior argument” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “later”?
Stress the first syllable: LAT-er. “lat” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “later” 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.