How to pronounce “novel”
Say “novel” in 2 beats
novel
/ˈnɑvəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /nɒvəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- novnɑstress
- elvəl
- IPA (American)
- /ˈnɑvəl/
- IPA (British)
- /nɒvəl/
- Respelling
- NAH-vuhl
- Syllables
- 2 — NOV-el
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: NOV-el. “nov” 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
American and British are not the same here
/ˈnɑvəl/
/nɒvəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “novel” means
- noun
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
- noun
a printed and bound book that is an extended work of fiction
“his bookcases were filled with nothing but novels”
- adjective
original and of a kind not seen before
“the computer produced a completely novel proof of a well-known theorem”
Say it in a sentence
“She wrote most of the novel on the morning train.”“novel”, answered
How do you pronounce “novel”?
“novel” is pronounced /ˈnɑvəl/ (NAH-vuhl) in American English and /nɒvəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “nov”. Build it as NOV-el, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “novel” have?
2: nov · el. The beat lands on the first, “nov”.
Is “novel” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈnɑvəl/ (NAH-vuhl); British English says /nɒvəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “novel” mean?
As a noun: an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story For example: “She wrote most of the novel on the morning train.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “novel”?
Stress the first syllable: NOV-el. “nov” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “novel” 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.