Word 142 of 545 · Silent letters
How to pronounce muscle
/ˈmʌsəl/ British English
MUS·əl
2 beats (syllables). The strong beat is the first one.
a Crossed-out letters are silent.
✗ Many people say
MUS·kəl
✓ Say
MUS·əl
My tip
The c is silent. It sounds exactly like mussel, the seafood.
In a sentence
I hurt a muscle at the gym.
Now you say it
- Listen to me two or three times.
- Say it slowly, one beat at a time: MUS-əl.
- Say the sentence at normal speed.
Questions
How do you pronounce muscle?
In British English, muscle is pronounced /ˈmʌsəl/. Say it like this: MUS-əl. The c is silent. It sounds exactly like mussel, the seafood.
How many syllables are in muscle?
When you say it, muscle has 2 syllables: MUS-əl. The strong beat is the first one, MUS.
More words like this: silent letters
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: /ʌ/ as in “cup”Meet this sound and hear it in my Sound Atlas. Free.
- The Sound MapAll 44 sounds of British English, in my voice. Free.
- Pitch Perfect: the Silent letters setHear me say it, record yourself, and see your sound under mine. A premium game.
- More gamesFive of my English games are free to play.


Native Phrase Lab
Willowbrook