Pronunciation

How to pronounce “phlegm

“phlegm” is pronounced /flɛm/ (FLEM) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “phlegm” in one beat

Say it like this

phlegm

/flɛm/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. phlegmflɛm
IPA (American)
/flɛm/
IPA (British)
/flɛm/
Respelling
FLEM
Syllables
1 — phlegm
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /flɛm/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Legend — spelling and sound part company here
Watch out

Where “phlegm” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    FLEG-um

    the g is silent: FLEM

Meaning

What “phlegm” means

  1. noun

    apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions

  2. noun

    expectorated matter; saliva mixed with discharges from the respiratory passages; in ancient and medieval physiology it was believed to cause sluggishness

  3. noun

    inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy

    the general appearance of sluggishness alarmed his friends

Say it in a sentence

A bad cold left him coughing up phlegm for a week.
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

phlegm”, answered

How do you pronounce “phlegm”?

“phlegm” is pronounced /flɛm/ (FLEM) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /flɛm/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “phlegm” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /flɛm/ — a single beat.

What does “phlegm” mean?

As a noun: apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions For example: “A bad cold left him coughing up phlegm for a week.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “phlegm”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /flɛm/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

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