How to pronounce “service”
Say “service” in 2 beats
service
/ˈsɝvəs/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /sɜːvɪs/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- sɝsɝstress
- vəsvəs
- IPA (American)
- /ˈsɝvəs/
- IPA (British)
- /sɜːvɪs/
- Also accepted
- /ˈsɝvɪs/
- Respelling
- SUR-vuhs
- Syllables
- 2 — Sɝ-vəs
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: Sɝ-vəs. “sɝ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈsɝvəs/
/sɜːvɪs/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “service” means
- noun
work done by one person or group that benefits another
“budget separately for goods and services”
- noun
an act of help or assistance
“he did them a service”
- noun
the act of public worship following prescribed rules
“the Sunday service”
Say it in a sentence
“The restaurant is known for its friendly service.”“service”, answered
How do you pronounce “service”?
“service” is pronounced /ˈsɝvəs/ (SUR-vuhs) in American English and /sɜːvɪs/ in British English, and /ˈsɝvɪs/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “sɝ”. Build it as Sɝ-vəs, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “service” have?
2: sɝ · vəs. The beat lands on the first, “sɝ”.
Is “service” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈsɝvəs/ (SUR-vuhs); British English says /sɜːvɪs/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “service” mean?
As a noun: work done by one person or group that benefits another For example: “budget separately for goods and services” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “service”?
Stress the first syllable: Sɝ-vəs. “sɝ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “service” 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.