Pronunciation

How to pronounce “listen

“listen” is pronounced /ˈlɪsən/ (LISS-uhn) — 2 syllables, stressed on “lis”.
The sound

Say “listen” in 2 beats

Say it like this

listen

/ˈlɪsən/

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

2 beats
  1. lisstress
  2. tensən
IPA (American)
/ˈlɪsən/
IPA (British)
/ˈlɪsən/
Respelling
LISS-uhn
Syllables
2 — LIS-ten
Stress
Stress the first syllable: LIS-ten. “lis” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Watch out

Where “listen” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    LIST-en

    the t is silent: LISS-uhn

Meaning

What “listen” means

  1. verb

    hear with intention

    Listen to the sound of this cello

  2. verb

    listen and pay attention

    Listen to your father

  3. verb

    pay close attention to; give heed to

    Heed the advice of the old men

Say it in a sentence

I like to listen to the radio while I cook dinner.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

listen”, answered

How do you pronounce “listen”?

“listen” is pronounced /ˈlɪsən/ (LISS-uhn) — 2 syllables, stressed on “lis”. Build it as LIS-ten, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “listen” have?

2: lis · ten. The beat lands on the first, “lis”.

What does “listen” mean?

As a verb: hear with intention For example: “Listen to the sound of this cello” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “listen”?

Stress the first syllable: LIS-ten. “lis” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “listen” 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.