How to Pronounce “memorandum”

American (US)

/ˌmɛm.əˈɹæn.dəm/

British (UK)

/ˌmɛm.əˈɹæn.dəm/

noun — A short note serving as a reminder.

Where the stress falls. “memorandum” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌmɛm.əˈɹæn.dəm/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌmɛm.əˈɹæn.dəm/ 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 "memorandum" mean?

memorandum (noun): A short note serving as a reminder.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "memorandum", /ˌmɛm.əˈɹæn.dəm/, 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 "memorandum"?

/ˌmɛm.əˈɹæn.dəm/ in American English, /ˌmɛm.əˈɹæn.dəm/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "memorandum"?

“memorandum” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌmɛm.əˈɹæn.dəm/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.