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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “possible”

“possible” is pronounced /ˈpɑsəbəl/ (PAH-suh-buhl) in American English and /pɒsɪbəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “pos”.
The sound

Say “possible” in 3 beats

Say it like this

possible

/ˈpɑsəbəl/

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

3 beats
  1. pospɑstress
  2. sibsə
  3. lebəl
IPA (American)
/ˈpɑsəbəl/
IPA (British)
/pɒsɪbəl/
Respelling
PAH-suh-buhl
Syllables
3 — POS-sib-le
Stress
Stress the first syllable: POS-sib-le. “pos” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈpɑsəbəl/

British

/pɒsɪbəl/

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

Meaning

What “possible” means

  1. noun

    something that can be done

    “politics is the art of the possible”

  2. noun

    an applicant who might be suitable

  3. adjective

    capable of happening or existing

    “a breakthrough may be possible next year”

Say it in a sentence

“It is possible to finish the project by next Friday.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
ppɑahssəschwa×2bbll

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“possible”, answered

How do you pronounce “possible”?

“possible” is pronounced /ˈpɑsəbəl/ (PAH-suh-buhl) in American English and /pɒsɪbəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “pos”. Build it as POS-sib-le, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “possible” have?

3: pos · sib · le. The beat lands on the first, “pos”.

Is “possible” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈpɑsəbəl/ (PAH-suh-buhl); British English says /pɒsɪbəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “possible” mean?

As a noun: something that can be done For example: “politics is the art of the possible” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “possible”?

Stress the first syllable: POS-sib-le. “pos” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “possible” and see every sound

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