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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “normal”

“normal” is pronounced /ˈnɔɹməl/ (NAWR-muhl) in American English and /nɔːməl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “nor”.
The sound

Say “normal” in 2 beats

Say it like this

normal

/ˈnɔɹməl/

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

2 beats
  1. nornɔɹstress
  2. malməl
IPA (American)
/ˈnɔɹməl/
IPA (British)
/nɔːməl/
Respelling
NAWR-muhl
Syllables
2 — NOR-mal
Stress
Stress the first syllable: NOR-mal. “nor” 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

/ˈnɔɹməl/

British

/nɔːməl/

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

Meaning

What “normal” means

  1. noun

    something regarded as a normative example

    “the convention of not naming the main character”

  2. adjective

    conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal

    “serve wine at normal room temperature”

  3. adjective

    in accordance with scientific laws

Say it in a sentence

“Rain in June is the normal here, not the exception.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
nnɔawɹrmməschwall

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

Questions

“normal”, answered

How do you pronounce “normal”?

“normal” is pronounced /ˈnɔɹməl/ (NAWR-muhl) in American English and /nɔːməl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “nor”. Build it as NOR-mal, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “normal” have?

2: nor · mal. The beat lands on the first, “nor”.

Is “normal” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈnɔɹməl/ (NAWR-muhl); British English says /nɔːməl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “normal” mean?

As a noun: something regarded as a normative example For example: “the convention of not naming the main character” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “normal”?

Stress the first syllable: NOR-mal. “nor” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “normal” and see every sound

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