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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “legal”

“legal” is pronounced /ˈliɡəl/ (LEE-guhl) in American English and /liːɡəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “leg”.
The sound

Say “legal” in 2 beats

Say it like this

legal

/ˈliɡəl/

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

2 beats
  1. leglistress
  2. alɡəl
IPA (American)
/ˈliɡəl/
IPA (British)
/liːɡəl/
Respelling
LEE-guhl
Syllables
2 — LEG-al
Stress
Stress the first syllable: LEG-al. “leg” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈliɡəl/

British

/liːɡəl/

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

Meaning

What “legal” means

  1. adjective

    established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules

  2. adjective

    of or relating to jurisprudence

    “legal loophole”

  3. adjective

    having legal efficacy or force

    “a sound title to the property”

Say it in a sentence

“There is a legal reason the footpath must stay open.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 sounds, in the order you say them
ll×2ilong eɡgəschwa

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“legal”, answered

How do you pronounce “legal”?

“legal” is pronounced /ˈliɡəl/ (LEE-guhl) in American English and /liːɡəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “leg”. Build it as LEG-al, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “legal” have?

2: leg · al. The beat lands on the first, “leg”.

Is “legal” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈliɡəl/ (LEE-guhl); British English says /liːɡəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “legal” mean?

As an adjective: established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules For example: “There is a legal reason the footpath must stay open.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “legal”?

Stress the first syllable: LEG-al. “leg” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “legal” and see every sound

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