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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “principal”

“principal” is pronounced /ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/ (PRIN-suh-puhl) in American English and /pɹɪnsɪpəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “prin”.
The sound

Say “principal” in 3 beats

Say it like this

principal

/ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/

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

3 beats
  1. prinpɹɪnstress
  2. cipsə
  3. alpəl
IPA (American)
/ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/
IPA (British)
/pɹɪnsɪpəl/
Respelling
PRIN-suh-puhl
Syllables
3 — PRIN-cip-al
Stress
Stress the first syllable: PRIN-cip-al. “prin” 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

/ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/

British

/pɹɪnsɪpəl/

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

Meaning

What “principal” means

  1. noun

    the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

  2. noun

    the educator who has executive authority for a school

    “she sent unruly pupils to see the principal”

  3. noun

    an actor who plays a principal role

Say it in a sentence

“Most of the principal has been repaid on the loan.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them
pp×2ɹrɪshort innssəschwa×2ll

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

Questions

“principal”, answered

How do you pronounce “principal”?

“principal” is pronounced /ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/ (PRIN-suh-puhl) in American English and /pɹɪnsɪpəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “prin”. Build it as PRIN-cip-al, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “principal” have?

3: prin · cip · al. The beat lands on the first, “prin”.

Is “principal” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/ (PRIN-suh-puhl); British English says /pɹɪnsɪpəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “principal” mean?

As a noun: the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated For example: “Most of the principal has been repaid on the loan.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “principal”?

Stress the first syllable: PRIN-cip-al. “prin” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “principal” and see every sound

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