Native Phrase Lab
WillowbrookWord 222 of 545 · Crazy spellings
How to pronounce lieutenant
/lefˈtenənt/ British English
lef·TEN·ənt
3 beats (syllables). The strong beat is the second one.
a Coloured letters don’t sound the way they look.
✗ Many people say
loo·TEN·ənt
✓ Say
lef·TEN·ənt
My tip
British English: lef-TEN-ənt. Americans say loo-TEN-ənt.
In a sentence
My grandad was a lieutenant in the army.
Now you say it
- Listen to me two or three times.
- Say it slowly, one beat at a time: lef-TEN-ənt.
- Say the sentence at normal speed.
Questions
How do you pronounce lieutenant?
In British English, lieutenant is pronounced /lefˈtenənt/. Say it like this: lef-TEN-ənt. British English: lef-TEN-ənt. Americans say loo-TEN-ənt.
How many syllables are in lieutenant?
When you say it, lieutenant has 3 syllables: lef-TEN-ənt. The strong beat is the second one, TEN.
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Practise these sounds
- The schwa, /ə/The small, weak sound in this word. It’s one of the 4 sounds you can practise completely free in my Sound Atlas.
- The strong beat: /e/ as in “bed”Meet this sound and hear it in my Sound Atlas. Free.
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