Pronunciation

How to pronounce “popular

“popular” is pronounced /ˈpɑpjəlɚ/ (PAH-pyuh-luh) in American English and /pɒpjʊlə/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “pop”.
The sound

Say “popular” in 3 beats

Say it like this

popular

/ˈpɑpjəlɚ/

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

3 beats
  1. popstress
  2. ulpjə
  3. ar
IPA (American)
/ˈpɑpjəlɚ/
IPA (British)
/pɒpjʊlə/
Respelling
PAH-pyuh-luh
Syllables
3 — POP-ul-ar
Stress
Stress the first syllable: POP-ul-ar. “pop” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈpɑpjəlɚ/

British

/pɒpjʊlə/

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

Meaning

What “popular” means

  1. adjective

    regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public

    a popular tourist attraction

  2. adjective

    carried on by or for the people (or citizens) at large

    the popular vote

  3. adjective

    representing or appealing to or adapted for the benefit of the people at large

    democratic art forms

Say it in a sentence

The little bakery became popular soon after it opened.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

popular”, answered

How do you pronounce “popular”?

“popular” is pronounced /ˈpɑpjəlɚ/ (PAH-pyuh-luh) in American English and /pɒpjʊlə/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “pop”. Build it as POP-ul-ar, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “popular” have?

3: pop · ul · ar. The beat lands on the first, “pop”.

Is “popular” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈpɑpjəlɚ/ (PAH-pyuh-luh); British English says /pɒpjʊlə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “popular” mean?

As an adjective: regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public For example: “a popular tourist attraction” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “popular”?

Stress the first syllable: POP-ul-ar. “pop” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “popular” 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.