Pronunciation

How to pronounce “rules

“rules” is pronounced /ɹulz/ (ROOLZ) in American English and /ɹuːlz/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “rules” in one beat

Say it like this

rules

/ɹulz/

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

1 beat
  1. rulesɹulz
IPA (American)
/ɹulz/
IPA (British)
/ɹuːlz/
Respelling
ROOLZ
Syllables
1 — rules
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɹulz/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ɹulz/

British

/ɹuːlz/

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

Meaning

What “rules” means

  1. noun

    a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

    it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast

  2. noun

    something regarded as a normative example

    the convention of not naming the main character

  3. noun

    prescribed guide for conduct or action

Say it in a sentence

The coach explained the rules before the match began.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 sounds, in the order you say them

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

Questions

rules”, answered

How do you pronounce “rules”?

“rules” is pronounced /ɹulz/ (ROOLZ) in American English and /ɹuːlz/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɹulz/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “rules” have?

One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /ɹulz/ — a single beat.

Is “rules” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ɹulz/ (ROOLZ); British English says /ɹuːlz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “rules” mean?

As a noun: a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior For example: “it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “rules”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɹulz/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “rules” 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.