How to pronounce “rural”
Say “rural” in 2 beats
rural
/ˈɹʊɹəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈɹʊəɹəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- rurɹʊstress
- alɹəl
- IPA (American)
- /ˈɹʊɹəl/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈɹʊəɹəl/
- Respelling
- ROOR-uhl
- Syllables
- 2 — RUR-al
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: RUR-al. “rur” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈɹʊɹəl/
/ˈɹʊəɹəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “rural” goes wrong
- Often heard
“RURL”
two syllables: ROOR-uhl; do not let the two r sounds collapse into one
What “rural” means
- adjective
living in or characteristic of farming or country life
“rural people”
- adjective
of or relating to the countryside as opposed to the city
“rural electrification”
Say it in a sentence
“Bus services in rural areas were cut again last winter.”“rural”, answered
How do you pronounce “rural”?
“rural” is pronounced /ˈɹʊɹəl/ (ROOR-uhl) in American English and /ˈɹʊəɹəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “rur”. Build it as RUR-al, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “rural” have?
2: rur · al. The beat lands on the first, “rur”.
Is “rural” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈɹʊɹəl/ (ROOR-uhl); British English says /ˈɹʊəɹəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “rural” mean?
As an adjective: living in or characteristic of farming or country life For example: “rural people” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “rural”?
Stress the first syllable: RUR-al. “rur” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “rural” 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.