How to Pronounce “dialect”

American (US)

/ˈdaɪ.əˌlɛkt/

British (UK)

/ˈdaɪ.əˌlɛkt/

Australian (AU)

/ˈdɑe.əˌlekt/

noun — A lect (often a regional or minority language) as part of a group or family of languages, especially if they are viewed as a single language, or if contrasted with a standardized idiom that is considered the 'true' form of the language (for example, Bavarian as contrasted with Standard German).

Where the stress falls. “dialect” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdaɪ.əˌlɛkt/ 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. /ˈdaɪ.əˌlɛkt/ 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 "dialect" mean?

dialect (noun): A lect (often a regional or minority language) as part of a group or family of languages, especially if they are viewed as a single language, or if contrasted with a standardized idiom that is considered the 'true' form of the language (for example, Bavarian as contrasted with Standard German).

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "dialect", /ˈdaɪ.əˌlɛkt/, 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 "dialect"?

/ˈdaɪ.əˌlɛkt/ in American English, /ˈdaɪ.əˌlɛkt/ in British English, /ˈdɑe.əˌlekt/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "dialect"?

“dialect” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdaɪ.əˌlɛkt/ 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.