sayitsayit
Pronunciation

How to pronounce “protocol”

“protocol” is pronounced /ˈpɹoʊtəˌkɑl/ (PROH-tuh-kahl) in American English and /pɹəʊtəkɒl/ in British English, and /ˈpɹoʊtəˌkɔl/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “prot”.
The sound

Say “protocol” in 3 beats

Say it like this

protocol

/ˈpɹoʊtəˌkɑl/

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

3 beats
  1. protpɹoʊstress
  2. octə
  3. olkɑl
IPA (American)
/ˈpɹoʊtəˌkɑl/
IPA (British)
/pɹəʊtəkɒl/
Also accepted
/ˈpɹoʊtəˌkɔl/
Respelling
PROH-tuh-kahl
Syllables
3 — PROT-oc-ol
Stress
Stress the first syllable: PROT-oc-ol. “prot” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈpɹoʊtəˌkɑl/

British

/pɹəʊtəkɒl/

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

Meaning

What “protocol” means

  1. noun

    (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data

  2. noun

    forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state

  3. noun

    code of correct conduct

    “safety protocols”

Say it in a sentence

“The protocol for reporting a fault has changed again.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

8 sounds, in the order you say them
ppɹroʊlong ottəschwakkɑahll

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

Questions

“protocol”, answered

How do you pronounce “protocol”?

“protocol” is pronounced /ˈpɹoʊtəˌkɑl/ (PROH-tuh-kahl) in American English and /pɹəʊtəkɒl/ in British English, and /ˈpɹoʊtəˌkɔl/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “prot”. Build it as PROT-oc-ol, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “protocol” have?

3: prot · oc · ol. The beat lands on the first, “prot”.

Is “protocol” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈpɹoʊtəˌkɑl/ (PROH-tuh-kahl); British English says /pɹəʊtəkɒl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “protocol” mean?

As a noun: (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data For example: “The protocol for reporting a fault has changed again.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “protocol”?

Stress the first syllable: PROT-oc-ol. “prot” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “protocol” 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.

Practise this word freeMore words with P