How to pronounce “prelude”
Say “prelude” in 2 beats
prelude
/ˈpɹɛljud/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈpɹɛljuːd/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- pɹɛlpɹɛlstress
- judjud
- IPA (American)
- /ˈpɹɛljud/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈpɹɛljuːd/
- Also accepted
- /ˈpɹeɪlud/
- Respelling
- PREL-yood
- Syllables
- 2 — PɹƐL-jud
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: PɹƐL-jud. “pɹɛl” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/ˈpɹɛljud/
/ˈpɹɛljuːd/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Also accepted
/ˈpɹeɪlud/Where “prelude” goes wrong
- Often heard
“PREE-lood”
the first vowel is the e of pet: PREL-yood
What “prelude” means
- noun
something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows
“training is a necessary preliminary to employment”
- noun
music that precedes a fugue or introduces an act in an opera
- verb
serve as a prelude or opening to
Say it in a sentence
“The quiet opening is only a prelude to a very loud finish.”“prelude”, answered
How do you pronounce “prelude”?
“prelude” is pronounced /ˈpɹɛljud/ (PREL-yood) in American English and /ˈpɹɛljuːd/ in British English, and /ˈpɹeɪlud/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “pɹɛl”. Build it as PɹƐL-jud, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “prelude” have?
2: pɹɛl · jud. The beat lands on the first, “pɹɛl”.
Is “prelude” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈpɹɛljud/ (PREL-yood); British English says /ˈpɹɛljuːd/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “prelude” mean?
As a noun: something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows For example: “training is a necessary preliminary to employment” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “prelude”?
Stress the first syllable: PɹƐL-jud. “pɹɛl” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “prelude” 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.