How to Pronounce “colloquial”

American (US)

/kəˈloʊ.kwi.əl/

British (UK)

/kəˈləʊ.kwɪəl/

adjective — Characteristic of familiar conversation, of common parlance; informal.

Example: You're using too many colloquial words in this cover letter: I suggest changing "I picked up loads of cool skills" to "I acquired many positive abilities".

Where the stress falls. “colloquial” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /kəˈloʊ.kwi.əl/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /kəˈloʊ.kwi.əl/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "colloquial" mean?

colloquial (adjective): Characteristic of familiar conversation, of common parlance; informal. For example — You're using too many colloquial words in this cover letter: I suggest changing "I picked up loads of cool skills" to "I acquired many positive abilities".

How do you pronounce "colloquial" in American vs British English?

American English: /kəˈloʊ.kwi.əl/. British English: /kəˈləʊ.kwɪəl/. Play both on this page to hear the difference.

What is the IPA transcription of "colloquial"?

/kəˈloʊ.kwi.əl/ in American English, /kəˈləʊ.kwɪəl/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "colloquial"?

“colloquial” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /kəˈloʊ.kwi.əl/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.