Pronunciation

How to pronounce “online

“online” is pronounced /ˈɔnˌlaɪn/ (AWN-lyn) in American English and /ɒnlaɪn/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ɔn”.
The sound

Say “online” in 2 beats

Say it like this

online

/ˈɔnˌlaɪn/

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

2 beats
  1. ɔnɔnstress
  2. laɪnlaɪn
IPA (American)
/ˈɔnˌlaɪn/
IPA (British)
/ɒnlaɪn/
Respelling
AWN-lyn
Syllables
2 — ƆN-laɪn
Stress
Stress the first syllable: ƆN-laɪn. “ɔn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈɔnˌlaɪn/

British

/ɒnlaɪn/

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

Meaning

What “online” means

  1. adjective

    on a regular route of a railroad or bus or airline system

    on-line industries

  2. adjective

    connected to a computer network or accessible by computer

    an on-line database

  3. adjective

    being in progress now

    on-line editorial projects

Say it in a sentence

She ordered her groceries online instead of driving to the store.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 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

online”, answered

How do you pronounce “online”?

“online” is pronounced /ˈɔnˌlaɪn/ (AWN-lyn) in American English and /ɒnlaɪn/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ɔn”. Build it as ƆN-laɪn, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “online” have?

2: ɔn · laɪn. The beat lands on the first, “ɔn”.

Is “online” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈɔnˌlaɪn/ (AWN-lyn); British English says /ɒnlaɪn/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “online” mean?

As an adjective: on a regular route of a railroad or bus or airline system For example: “on-line industries” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “online”?

Stress the first syllable: ƆN-laɪn. “ɔn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “online” 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.