Pronunciation

How to pronounce “local

“local” is pronounced /ˈloʊkəl/ (LOH-kuhl) in American English and /ləʊkəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “loc”.
The sound

Say “local” in 2 beats

Say it like this

local

/ˈloʊkəl/

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

2 beats
  1. locloʊstress
  2. alkəl
IPA (American)
/ˈloʊkəl/
IPA (British)
/ləʊkəl/
Respelling
LOH-kuhl
Syllables
2 — LOC-al
Stress
Stress the first syllable: LOC-al. “loc” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈloʊkəl/

British

/ləʊkəl/

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

Meaning

What “local” means

  1. noun

    public transport consisting of a bus or train that stops at all stations or stops

    the local seemed to take forever to get to New York

  2. noun

    anesthetic that numbs a particular area of the body

  3. adjective

    relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area

    local taxes

Say it in a sentence

The bakery only uses local ingredients in its bread.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 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

local”, answered

How do you pronounce “local”?

“local” is pronounced /ˈloʊkəl/ (LOH-kuhl) in American English and /ləʊkəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “loc”. Build it as LOC-al, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “local” have?

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

Is “local” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈloʊkəl/ (LOH-kuhl); British English says /ləʊkəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “local” mean?

As a noun: public transport consisting of a bus or train that stops at all stations or stops For example: “the local seemed to take forever to get to New York” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “local”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “local” 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.