How to pronounce “principle”
Say “principle” in 3 beats
principle
/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.
- prinpɹɪnstress
- cipsə
- lepəl
- IPA (American)
- /ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/
- IPA (British)
- /pɹɪnsɪpəl/
- Respelling
- PRIN-suh-puhl
- Syllables
- 3 — PRIN-cip-le
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: PRIN-cip-le. “prin” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/
/pɹɪnsɪpəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “principle” means
- noun
a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct
“their principles of composition characterized all their works”
- noun
a rule or standard especially of good behavior
“a man of principle”
- noun
a basic truth or law or assumption
“the principles of democracy”
Say it in a sentence
“He refused on principle, not because of the money.”“principle”, answered
How do you pronounce “principle”?
“principle” is pronounced /ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/ (PRIN-suh-puhl) in American English and /pɹɪnsɪpəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “prin”. Build it as PRIN-cip-le, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “principle” have?
3: prin · cip · le. The beat lands on the first, “prin”.
Is “principle” 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 “principle” mean?
As a noun: a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct For example: “their principles of composition characterized all their works” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “principle”?
Stress the first syllable: PRIN-cip-le. “prin” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “principle” 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.