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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “versatile”

“versatile” is pronounced /ˈvɝsətəl/ (VUR-suh-tuhl) in American English and /vɜːsətaɪl/ in British English, and /vɚsəˈtaɪl/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “vɝ”.
The sound

Say “versatile” in 3 beats

Say it like this

versatile

/ˈvɝsətəl/

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

3 beats
  1. vɝvɝstress
  2. səsə
  3. təltəl
IPA (American)
/ˈvɝsətəl/
IPA (British)
/vɜːsətaɪl/
Also accepted
/vɚsəˈtaɪl/
Respelling
VUR-suh-tuhl
Syllables
3 — Vɝ-sə-təl
Stress
Stress the first syllable: Vɝ-sə-təl. “vɝ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈvɝsətəl/

British

/vɜːsətaɪl/

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

Meaning

What “versatile” means

  1. adjective

    having great diversity or variety

    “his various achievements are impressive”

  2. adjective

    changeable or inconstant

    “versatile moods”

  3. adjective

    competent in many areas and able to turn with ease from one thing to another

    “a versatile writer”

Say it in a sentence

“A versatile cook can make dinner from almost anything.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
vvɝerssəschwa×2ttll

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

Questions

“versatile”, answered

How do you pronounce “versatile”?

“versatile” is pronounced /ˈvɝsətəl/ (VUR-suh-tuhl) in American English and /vɜːsətaɪl/ in British English, and /vɚsəˈtaɪl/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “vɝ”. Build it as Vɝ-sə-təl, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “versatile” have?

3: vɝ · sə · təl. The beat lands on the first, “vɝ”.

Is “versatile” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈvɝsətəl/ (VUR-suh-tuhl); British English says /vɜːsətaɪl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “versatile” mean?

As an adjective: having great diversity or variety For example: “his various achievements are impressive” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “versatile”?

Stress the first syllable: Vɝ-sə-təl. “vɝ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “versatile” and see every sound

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