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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “sexual”

“sexual” is pronounced /ˈsɛkʃuəl/ (SEK-shoo-uhl) in American English and /sɛkʃuːəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “sɛk”.
The sound

Say “sexual” in 3 beats

Say it like this

sexual

/ˈsɛkʃuəl/

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

3 beats
  1. sɛksɛkstress
  2. ʃuʃu
  3. ələl
IPA (American)
/ˈsɛkʃuəl/
IPA (British)
/sɛkʃuːəl/
Respelling
SEK-shoo-uhl
Syllables
3 — SƐK-ʃu-əl
Stress
Stress the first syllable: SƐK-ʃu-əl. “sɛk” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈsɛkʃuəl/

British

/sɛkʃuːəl/

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

Meaning

What “sexual” means

  1. adjective

    of or relating to or characterized by sexuality

    “sexual orientation”

  2. adjective

    having or involving sex

    “sexual reproduction”

  3. adjective

    involved in a sexual relationship

    “the intimate (or sexual) relations between husband and wife”

Say it in a sentence

“The clinic offers confidential advice about sexual health to young people.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them
ssɛshort ekkʃshulong ooəschwall

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

Questions

“sexual”, answered

How do you pronounce “sexual”?

“sexual” is pronounced /ˈsɛkʃuəl/ (SEK-shoo-uhl) in American English and /sɛkʃuːəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “sɛk”. Build it as SƐK-ʃu-əl, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “sexual” have?

3: sɛk · ʃu · əl. The beat lands on the first, “sɛk”.

Is “sexual” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈsɛkʃuəl/ (SEK-shoo-uhl); British English says /sɛkʃuːəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “sexual” mean?

As an adjective: of or relating to or characterized by sexuality For example: “sexual orientation” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “sexual”?

Stress the first syllable: SƐK-ʃu-əl. “sɛk” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

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