How to Pronounce “lemma”

American (US)

/ˈlɛmə/

British (UK)

/ˈlɛmə/

noun — A proposition proved or accepted for immediate use in the proof of some other proposition.

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

lemma (noun): A proposition proved or accepted for immediate use in the proof of some other proposition.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "lemma", /ˈlɛmə/, 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 "lemma"?

/ˈlɛmə/ in American English, /ˈlɛmə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "lemma"?

“lemma” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈlɛmə/ 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.