How to Pronounce “herald”

American (US)

/ˈhɛɹəld/

British (UK)

/ˈhɛɹəld/

Australian (AU)

/ˈheɹəld/

noun — A messenger, especially one bringing important news.

Example: The herald blew his trumpet and shouted that the King was dead.

Where the stress falls. “herald” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈhɛɹəld/ 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. /ˈhɛɹəld/ 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 "herald" mean?

herald (noun): A messenger, especially one bringing important news. For example — The herald blew his trumpet and shouted that the King was dead.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "herald", /ˈhɛɹəld/, 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 "herald"?

/ˈhɛɹəld/ in American English, /ˈhɛɹəld/ in British English, /ˈheɹəld/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "herald"?

“herald” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈhɛɹəld/ 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.