How to pronounce “successful”
Say “successful” in 3 beats
successful
/səkˈsɛsfəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /səksɛsfəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- sucsək
- cesssɛstress
- fulsfəl
- IPA (American)
- /səkˈsɛsfəl/
- IPA (British)
- /səksɛsfəl/
- Respelling
- suhk-SE-sfuhl
- Syllables
- 3 — suc-CESS-ful
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: suc-CESS-ful. “cess” 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
American and British are not the same here
/səkˈsɛsfəl/
/səksɛsfəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “successful” means
- adjective
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
“a successful architect”
Say it in a sentence
“The little bakery became successful within its first year.”“successful”, answered
How do you pronounce “successful”?
“successful” is pronounced /səkˈsɛsfəl/ (suhk-SE-sfuhl) in American English and /səksɛsfəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “cess”. Build it as suc-CESS-ful, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “successful” have?
3: suc · cess · ful. The beat lands on the second, “cess”.
Is “successful” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /səkˈsɛsfəl/ (suhk-SE-sfuhl); British English says /səksɛsfəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “successful” mean?
As an adjective: having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome For example: “a successful architect”
Where is the stress in “successful”?
Stress the second syllable: suc-CESS-ful. “cess” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “successful” 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.