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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “problem”

“problem” is pronounced /ˈpɹɑbləm/ (PRAH-bluhm) in American English and /pɹɒbləm/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “prob”.
The sound

Say “problem” in 2 beats

Say it like this

problem

/ˈpɹɑbləm/

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

2 beats
  1. probpɹɑstress
  2. lembləm
IPA (American)
/ˈpɹɑbləm/
IPA (British)
/pɹɒbləm/
Respelling
PRAH-bluhm
Syllables
2 — PROB-lem
Stress
Stress the first syllable: PROB-lem. “prob” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈpɹɑbləm/

British

/pɹɒbləm/

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

Meaning

What “problem” means

  1. noun

    a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved

    “she and her husband are having problems”

  2. noun

    a question raised for consideration or solution

    “our homework consisted of ten problems to solve”

  3. noun

    a source of difficulty

    “one trouble after another delayed the job”

Say it in a sentence

“The mechanic quickly found the problem with the old engine.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them
ppɹrɑahbblləschwamm

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

Questions

“problem”, answered

How do you pronounce “problem”?

“problem” is pronounced /ˈpɹɑbləm/ (PRAH-bluhm) in American English and /pɹɒbləm/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “prob”. Build it as PROB-lem, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “problem” have?

2: prob · lem. The beat lands on the first, “prob”.

Is “problem” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈpɹɑbləm/ (PRAH-bluhm); British English says /pɹɒbləm/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “problem” mean?

As a noun: a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved For example: “she and her husband are having problems” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “problem”?

Stress the first syllable: PROB-lem. “prob” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “problem” and see every sound

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