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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “minimum”

“minimum” is pronounced /ˈmɪnəməm/ (MI-nuh-muhm) in American English and /mɪnɪməm/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “min”.
The sound

Say “minimum” in 3 beats

Say it like this

minimum

/ˈmɪnəməm/

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

3 beats
  1. minmɪstress
  2. imnə
  3. umməm
IPA (American)
/ˈmɪnəməm/
IPA (British)
/mɪnɪməm/
Respelling
MI-nuh-muhm
Syllables
3 — MIN-im-um
Stress
Stress the first syllable: MIN-im-um. “min” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall 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

/ˈmɪnəməm/

British

/mɪnɪməm/

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

Meaning

What “minimum” means

  1. noun

    the smallest possible quantity

  2. noun

    the point on a curve where the tangent changes from negative on the left to positive on the right

  3. adjective

    the least possible

    “needed to enforce minimal standards”

Say it in a sentence

“Two coats is the minimum on bare wood.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 sounds, in the order you say them
mm×3ɪshort innəschwa×2

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

Questions

“minimum”, answered

How do you pronounce “minimum”?

“minimum” is pronounced /ˈmɪnəməm/ (MI-nuh-muhm) in American English and /mɪnɪməm/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “min”. Build it as MIN-im-um, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “minimum” have?

3: min · im · um. The beat lands on the first, “min”.

Is “minimum” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈmɪnəməm/ (MI-nuh-muhm); British English says /mɪnɪməm/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “minimum” mean?

As a noun: the smallest possible quantity For example: “Two coats is the minimum on bare wood.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “minimum”?

Stress the first syllable: MIN-im-um. “min” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “minimum” and see every sound

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