Pronunciation

How to pronounce “tree

“tree” is pronounced /tɹi/ (TREE) in American English and /tɹiː/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “tree” in one beat

Say it like this

tree

/tɹi/

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

1 beat
  1. treetɹi
IPA (American)
/tɹi/
IPA (British)
/tɹiː/
Respelling
TREE
Syllables
1 — tree
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /tɹi/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/tɹi/

British

/tɹiː/

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

Meaning

What “tree” means

  1. noun

    a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

  2. noun

    a figure that branches from a single root

    genealogical tree

  3. noun

    English actor and theatrical producer noted for his lavish productions of Shakespeare (1853-1917)

Say it in a sentence

They planted a small tree in the backyard last spring.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 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

tree”, answered

How do you pronounce “tree”?

“tree” is pronounced /tɹi/ (TREE) in American English and /tɹiː/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /tɹi/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “tree” have?

One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /tɹi/ — a single beat.

Is “tree” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /tɹi/ (TREE); British English says /tɹiː/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “tree” mean?

As a noun: a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms For example: “They planted a small tree in the backyard last spring.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “tree”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /tɹi/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “tree” 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.