Pronunciation

How to pronounce “middle

“middle” is pronounced /ˈmɪdəl/ (MI-duhl) in American English and /mɪdəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “midd”.
The sound

Say “middle” in 2 beats

Say it like this

middle

/ˈmɪdəl/

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

2 beats
  1. middstress
  2. ledəl
IPA (American)
/ˈmɪdəl/
IPA (British)
/mɪdəl/
Respelling
MI-duhl
Syllables
2 — MIDD-le
Stress
Stress the first syllable: MIDD-le. “midd” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈmɪdəl/

British

/mɪdəl/

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

Meaning

What “middle” means

  1. noun

    an area that is approximately central within some larger region

    it is in the center of town

  2. noun

    an intermediate part or section; - Aristotle

    A whole is that which has beginning, middle, and end

  3. noun

    the middle area of the human torso (usually in front)

    young American women believe that a bare midriff is fashionable

Say it in a sentence

The bakery sits right in the middle of the village.
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

middle”, answered

How do you pronounce “middle”?

“middle” is pronounced /ˈmɪdəl/ (MI-duhl) in American English and /mɪdəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “midd”. Build it as MIDD-le, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “middle” have?

2: midd · le. The beat lands on the first, “midd”.

Is “middle” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈmɪdəl/ (MI-duhl); British English says /mɪdəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “middle” mean?

As a noun: an area that is approximately central within some larger region For example: “it is in the center of town” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “middle”?

Stress the first syllable: MIDD-le. “midd” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “middle” 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.