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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “public”

“public” is pronounced /ˈpʌblɪk/ (PU-blik) in American English and /pʌblɪk/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “pub”.
The sound

Say “public” in 2 beats

Say it like this

public

/ˈpʌblɪk/

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

2 beats
  1. pubpʌstress
  2. licblɪk
IPA (American)
/ˈpʌblɪk/
IPA (British)
/pʌblɪk/
Respelling
PU-blik
Syllables
2 — PUB-lic
Stress
Stress the first syllable: PUB-lic. “pub” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls 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

/ˈpʌblɪk/

British

/pʌblɪk/

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

Meaning

What “public” means

  1. noun

    people in general considered as a whole

    “he is a hero in the eyes of the public”

  2. noun

    a body of people sharing some common interest

    “the reading public”

  3. adjective

    not private; open to or concerning the people as a whole

    “the public good”

Say it in a sentence

“The new library is open to the public every day.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
ppʌshort ubbllɪshort ikk

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

Questions

“public”, answered

How do you pronounce “public”?

“public” is pronounced /ˈpʌblɪk/ (PU-blik) in American English and /pʌblɪk/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “pub”. Build it as PUB-lic, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “public” have?

2: pub · lic. The beat lands on the first, “pub”.

Is “public” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈpʌblɪk/ (PU-blik); British English says /pʌblɪk/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “public” mean?

As a noun: people in general considered as a whole For example: “he is a hero in the eyes of the public” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “public”?

Stress the first syllable: PUB-lic. “pub” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “public” and see every sound

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