How to pronounce “policy”
Say “policy” in 3 beats
policy
/ˈpɑləsi/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /pɒlɪsi/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- polpɑstress
- iclə
- ysi
- IPA (American)
- /ˈpɑləsi/
- IPA (British)
- /pɒlɪsi/
- Respelling
- PAH-luh-see
- Syllables
- 3 — POL-ic-y
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: POL-ic-y. “pol” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈpɑləsi/
/pɒlɪsi/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “policy” means
- noun
a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group
“it was a policy of retribution”
- noun
a line of argument rationalizing the course of action of a government
“they debated the policy or impolicy of the proposed legislation”
- noun
written contract or certificate of insurance
“you should have read the small print on your policy”
Say it in a sentence
“The new policy takes effect at the start of next term.”“policy”, answered
How do you pronounce “policy”?
“policy” is pronounced /ˈpɑləsi/ (PAH-luh-see) in American English and /pɒlɪsi/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “pol”. Build it as POL-ic-y, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “policy” have?
3: pol · ic · y. The beat lands on the first, “pol”.
Is “policy” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈpɑləsi/ (PAH-luh-see); British English says /pɒlɪsi/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “policy” mean?
As a noun: a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group For example: “it was a policy of retribution” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “policy”?
Stress the first syllable: POL-ic-y. “pol” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “policy” 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.