How to Pronounce “premium”

American (US)

/ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/

British (UK)

/ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/

adjective — Superior in quality; higher in price or value.

Where the stress falls. “premium” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/ 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. /ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/ 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 "premium" mean?

premium (adjective): Superior in quality; higher in price or value.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "premium", /ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/, 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 "premium"?

/ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/ in American English, /ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "premium"?

“premium” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/ 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.