Pronunciation

How to pronounce “parliamentary

“parliamentary” is pronounced /ˌpɑɹləˈmɛntɚi/ (pahr-luh-MEN-tuh-ee) in American English and /pɑːləmɛntəɹi/ in British English, and /ˌpɑɹləˈmɛnɚi/ is also accepted — 5 syllables, stressed on “en”.
The sound

Say “parliamentary” in 5 beats

Say it like this

parliamentary

/ˌpɑɹləˈmɛntɚi/

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

5 beats
  1. parpɑɹ
  2. liam
  3. enmɛnstress
  4. tar
  5. yi
IPA (American)
/ˌpɑɹləˈmɛntɚi/
IPA (British)
/pɑːləmɛntəɹi/
Also accepted
/ˌpɑɹləˈmɛnɚi/
Respelling
pahr-luh-MEN-tuh-ee
Syllables
5 — par-liam-EN-tar-y
Stress
Stress the third syllable: par-liam-EN-tar-y. “en” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˌpɑɹləˈmɛntɚi/

British

/pɑːləmɛntəɹi/

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

Meaning

What “parliamentary” means

  1. adjective

    relating to or having the nature of a parliament

    parliamentary reform

  2. adjective

    having the supreme legislative power resting with a body of cabinet ministers chosen from and responsible to the legislature or parliament

    parliamentary government

  3. adjective

    in accord with rules and customs of a legislative or deliberative assembly

    parliamentary law

Say it in a sentence

A parliamentary committee will review the proposal next spring.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

10 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

parliamentary”, answered

How do you pronounce “parliamentary”?

“parliamentary” is pronounced /ˌpɑɹləˈmɛntɚi/ (pahr-luh-MEN-tuh-ee) in American English and /pɑːləmɛntəɹi/ in British English, and /ˌpɑɹləˈmɛnɚi/ is also accepted — 5 syllables, stressed on “en”. Build it as par-liam-EN-tar-y, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “parliamentary” have?

5: par · liam · en · tar · y. The beat lands on the third, “en”.

Is “parliamentary” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌpɑɹləˈmɛntɚi/ (pahr-luh-MEN-tuh-ee); British English says /pɑːləmɛntəɹi/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “parliamentary” mean?

As an adjective: relating to or having the nature of a parliament For example: “parliamentary reform” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “parliamentary”?

Stress the third syllable: par-liam-EN-tar-y. “en” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “parliamentary” and see every sound

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