How to pronounce “volatile”
Say “volatile” in 3 beats
volatile
/ˈvɑlətəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /vɒlɐtaɪl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- vɑvɑstress
- lələ
- təltəl
- IPA (American)
- /ˈvɑlətəl/
- IPA (British)
- /vɒlɐtaɪl/
- Respelling
- VAH-luh-tuhl
- Syllables
- 3 — VⱭ-lə-təl
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: VⱭ-lə-təl. “vɑ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/ˈvɑlətəl/
/vɒlɐtaɪl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “volatile” means
- noun
a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor
“it was heated to evaporate the volatiles”
- adjective
evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures
“volatile oils”
- adjective
liable to lead to sudden change or violence
“an explosive issue”
Say it in a sentence
“Keep the volatile away from the stove and the pilot light.”“volatile”, answered
How do you pronounce “volatile”?
“volatile” is pronounced /ˈvɑlətəl/ (VAH-luh-tuhl) in American English and /vɒlɐtaɪl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “vɑ”. Build it as VⱭ-lə-təl, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “volatile” have?
3: vɑ · lə · təl. The beat lands on the first, “vɑ”.
Is “volatile” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈvɑlətəl/ (VAH-luh-tuhl); British English says /vɒlɐtaɪl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “volatile” mean?
As a noun: a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor For example: “it was heated to evaporate the volatiles” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “volatile”?
Stress the first syllable: VⱭ-lə-təl. “vɑ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “volatile” 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.