How to Pronounce “crucial”

American (US)

/ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/

British (UK)

/ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/

adjective — Essential or decisive for determining the outcome or future of something; extremely important; vital.

Example: The battle of Tali-Ihantala in 1944 is one of the crucial moments in the history of Finland.

Where the stress falls. “crucial” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/ 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 "crucial" mean?

crucial (adjective): Essential or decisive for determining the outcome or future of something; extremely important; vital. For example — The battle of Tali-Ihantala in 1944 is one of the crucial moments in the history of Finland.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "crucial", /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "crucial"?

/ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/ in American English, /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "crucial"?

“crucial” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.