Pronunciation

How to pronounce “valuable

“valuable” is pronounced /ˈvæljəbəl/ (VAL-yuh-buhl) in American English and /ˈvaljʊəbəl/ in British English, and /ˈvæljubəl/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “val”.
The sound

Say “valuable” in 3 beats

Say it like this

valuable

/ˈvæljəbəl/

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

3 beats
  1. valstress
  2. uabljə
  3. lebəl
IPA (American)
/ˈvæljəbəl/
IPA (British)
/ˈvaljʊəbəl/
Also accepted
/ˈvæljubəl/
Respelling
VAL-yuh-buhl
Syllables
3 — VAL-uab-le
Stress
Stress the first syllable: VAL-uab-le. “val” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈvæljəbəl/

British

/ˈvaljʊəbəl/

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

Watch out

Where “valuable” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    val-YOO-able

    the stress is first and the -ua- reduces: VAL-yuh-buhl

Meaning

What “valuable” means

  1. noun

    something of value

    all our valuables were stolen

  2. adjective

    having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange

    a valuable diamond

  3. adjective

    having worth or merit or value

    a valuable friend

Say it in a sentence

Her advice that morning turned out to be extremely valuable.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 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

valuable”, answered

How do you pronounce “valuable”?

“valuable” is pronounced /ˈvæljəbəl/ (VAL-yuh-buhl) in American English and /ˈvaljʊəbəl/ in British English, and /ˈvæljubəl/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “val”. Build it as VAL-uab-le, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “valuable” have?

3: val · uab · le. The beat lands on the first, “val”.

Is “valuable” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈvæljəbəl/ (VAL-yuh-buhl); British English says /ˈvaljʊəbəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “valuable” mean?

As a noun: something of value For example: “all our valuables were stolen” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “valuable”?

Stress the first syllable: VAL-uab-le. “val” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “valuable” 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.