How to pronounce “nuclear”
Say “nuclear” in 3 beats
nuclear
/ˈnukliɚ/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈnjuːklɪə/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- nunustress
- klikli
- ɚɚ
- IPA (American)
- /ˈnukliɚ/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈnjuːklɪə/
- Respelling
- NOO-klee-ur (UK NYOO-klee-ur)
- Syllables
- 3 — NU-kli-ɚ
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: NU-kli-ɚ. “nu” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈnukliɚ/
/ˈnjuːklɪə/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “nuclear” goes wrong
- Often heard
“NOO-kyuh-lur”/ˈnukjəlɚ/
the middle is klee, not kyuh: the word follows nucleus
What “nuclear” means
- adjective
(weapons) deriving destructive energy from the release of atomic energy
“nuclear war”
- adjective
of or relating to or constituting the nucleus of an atom
“nuclear physics”
- adjective
of or relating to or constituting the nucleus of a cell
“nuclear membrane”
Say it in a sentence
“The nuclear plant on the coast closed in the late nineties.”“nuclear”, answered
How do you pronounce “nuclear”?
“nuclear” is pronounced /ˈnukliɚ/ (NOO-klee-ur (UK NYOO-klee-ur)) in American English and /ˈnjuːklɪə/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “nu”. Build it as NU-kli-ɚ, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “nuclear” have?
3: nu · kli · ɚ. The beat lands on the first, “nu”.
Is “nuclear” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈnukliɚ/ (NOO-klee-ur (UK NYOO-klee-ur)); British English says /ˈnjuːklɪə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “nuclear” mean?
As an adjective: (weapons) deriving destructive energy from the release of atomic energy For example: “nuclear war” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “nuclear”?
Stress the first syllable: NU-kli-ɚ. “nu” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “nuclear” 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.