Pronunciation

How to pronounce “threshold

“threshold” is pronounced /ˈθɹɛˌʃoʊld/ (THRE-shohld) in American English and /θɹɛʃəʊld/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “thres”.
The sound

Say “threshold” in 2 beats

Say it like this

threshold

/ˈθɹɛˌʃoʊld/

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

2 beats
  1. thresθɹɛstress
  2. holdʃoʊld
IPA (American)
/ˈθɹɛˌʃoʊld/
IPA (British)
/θɹɛʃəʊld/
Respelling
THRE-shohld
Syllables
2 — THRES-hold
Stress
Stress the first syllable: THRES-hold. “thres” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈθɹɛˌʃoʊld/

British

/θɹɛʃəʊld/

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

Meaning

What “threshold” means

  1. noun

    the starting point for a new state or experience

    on the threshold of manhood

  2. noun

    the smallest detectable sensation

  3. noun

    the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

    he stuck his head in the doorway

Say it in a sentence

The noise stayed just below the threshold for a formal complaint.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them

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

Questions

threshold”, answered

How do you pronounce “threshold”?

“threshold” is pronounced /ˈθɹɛˌʃoʊld/ (THRE-shohld) in American English and /θɹɛʃəʊld/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “thres”. Build it as THRES-hold, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “threshold” have?

2: thres · hold. The beat lands on the first, “thres”.

Is “threshold” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈθɹɛˌʃoʊld/ (THRE-shohld); British English says /θɹɛʃəʊld/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “threshold” mean?

As a noun: the starting point for a new state or experience For example: “on the threshold of manhood” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “threshold”?

Stress the first syllable: THRES-hold. “thres” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “threshold” 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.