How to pronounce “voluntary”
Say “voluntary” in 4 beats
voluntary
/ˈvɑləntɛɹi/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /vɒləntəɹi/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- volvɑstress
- unlən
- tartɛ
- yɹi
- IPA (American)
- /ˈvɑləntɛɹi/
- IPA (British)
- /vɒləntəɹi/
- Respelling
- VAH-luhn-te-ree
- Syllables
- 4 — VOL-un-tar-y
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: VOL-un-tar-y. “vol” 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
/ˈvɑləntɛɹi/
/vɒləntəɹi/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “voluntary” means
- noun
(military) a person who freely enlists for service
- noun
composition (often improvised) for a solo instrument (especially solo organ) and not a regular part of a religious service or musical performance
- adjective
of your own free will or design; done by choice; not forced or compelled
“man is a voluntary agent”
Say it in a sentence
“Her grandfather joined as a voluntary in the first winter.”“voluntary”, answered
How do you pronounce “voluntary”?
“voluntary” is pronounced /ˈvɑləntɛɹi/ (VAH-luhn-te-ree) in American English and /vɒləntəɹi/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “vol”. Build it as VOL-un-tar-y, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “voluntary” have?
4: vol · un · tar · y. The beat lands on the first, “vol”.
Is “voluntary” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈvɑləntɛɹi/ (VAH-luhn-te-ree); British English says /vɒləntəɹi/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “voluntary” mean?
As a noun: (military) a person who freely enlists for service For example: “Her grandfather joined as a voluntary in the first winter.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “voluntary”?
Stress the first syllable: VOL-un-tar-y. “vol” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “voluntary” 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.