How to Pronounce “wrestle”

American (US)

/ˈresəl/

British (UK)

/ˈresəl/

verb — To struggle physically with an opponent, or to grapple with a difficult problem.

Example: He wrestled with the decision all week.

Synonyms: grapple, struggle

The w is silent. Initial wr- is pronounced /r/. “wrestle” begins on the r; the w is a fossil of an older pronunciation.

The t is silent. A t caught between s and l disappears. “wrestle” has no /t/ in it at all; the s runs directly into a syllabic l.

The final e is silent. The transcription /ˈresəl/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “wrestle” is not pronounced.

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

wrestle (verb): To struggle physically with an opponent, or to grapple with a difficult problem. For example — He wrestled with the decision all week.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "wrestle", /ˈresəl/, 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 "wrestle"?

/ˈresəl/ in American English, /ˈresəl/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "wrestle"?

“wrestle” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈresəl/ 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.

• Silent T words
• Silent W words