Pronunciation

How to pronounce “zebra

“zebra” is pronounced /ˈzibɹə/ (ZEE-bruh (UK ZEB-ruh)) in American English and /ˈzɛbɹə/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “zeb”.
The sound

Say “zebra” in 2 beats

Say it like this

zebra

/ˈzibɹə/

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

2 beats
  1. zebzistress
  2. rabɹə
IPA (American)
/ˈzibɹə/
IPA (British)
/ˈzɛbɹə/
Respelling
ZEE-bruh (UK ZEB-ruh)
Syllables
2 — ZEB-ra
Stress
Stress the first syllable: ZEB-ra. “zeb” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈzibɹə/

British

/ˈzɛbɹə/

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

Watch out

Where “zebra” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    one form is wrong

    American English says ZEE-bruh; British English says ZEB-ruh.

Meaning

What “zebra” means

  1. noun

    any of several fleet black-and-white striped African equines

Say it in a sentence

A zebra can outrun most predators over a short distance.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

zebra”, answered

How do you pronounce “zebra”?

“zebra” is pronounced /ˈzibɹə/ (ZEE-bruh (UK ZEB-ruh)) in American English and /ˈzɛbɹə/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “zeb”. Build it as ZEB-ra, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “zebra” have?

2: zeb · ra. The beat lands on the first, “zeb”.

Is “zebra” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈzibɹə/ (ZEE-bruh (UK ZEB-ruh)); British English says /ˈzɛbɹə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “zebra” mean?

As a noun: any of several fleet black-and-white striped African equines For example: “A zebra can outrun most predators over a short distance.”

Where is the stress in “zebra”?

Stress the first syllable: ZEB-ra. “zeb” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “zebra” 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.