How to pronounce “so-called”
Say “so-called” in 2 beats
so-called
/ˌsoʊˈkɔld/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˌsəʊˈkɔːld/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- soʊsoʊstress
- kɔldkɔld
- IPA (American)
- /ˌsoʊˈkɔld/
- IPA (British)
- /ˌsəʊˈkɔːld/
- Respelling
- soh-KAWLD
- Syllables
- 2 — SOƱ-kɔld
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: SOƱ-kɔld. “soʊ” 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
/ˌsoʊˈkɔld/
/ˌsəʊˈkɔːld/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “so-called” goes wrong
- Often heard
“soh-KOLD”
the vowel in -called is the long aw of law, not the o of cold
What “so-called” means
- adjective
named or described in a way the speaker doubts or wants to distance themselves from
Say it in a sentence
“The so-called shortcut added twenty minutes to the drive.”“so-called”, answered
How do you pronounce “so-called”?
“so-called” is pronounced /ˌsoʊˈkɔld/ (soh-KAWLD) in American English and /ˌsəʊˈkɔːld/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “soʊ”. Build it as SOƱ-kɔld, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “so-called” have?
2: soʊ · kɔld. The beat lands on the first, “soʊ”.
Is “so-called” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˌsoʊˈkɔld/ (soh-KAWLD); British English says /ˌsəʊˈkɔːld/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “so-called” mean?
As an adjective: named or described in a way the speaker doubts or wants to distance themselves from For example: “The so-called shortcut added twenty minutes to the drive.”
Where is the stress in “so-called”?
Stress the first syllable: SOƱ-kɔld. “soʊ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “so-called” 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.