Word 113 of 545 · Silent letters
How to pronounce thistle
/ˈθɪsəl/ British English
THIS·əl
2 beats (syllables). The strong beat is the first one.
a Crossed-out letters are silent.
✗ Many people say
THIS·tle
✓ Say
THIS·əl
My tip
The t is silent. Start with a soft th: THIS-əl.
In a sentence
I’ve got a thistle in my sock.
Now you say it
- Listen to me two or three times.
- Say it slowly, one beat at a time: THIS-əl.
- Say the sentence at normal speed.
Questions
How do you pronounce thistle?
In British English, thistle is pronounced /ˈθɪsəl/. Say it like this: THIS-əl. The t is silent. Start with a soft th: THIS-əl.
How many syllables are in thistle?
When you say it, thistle has 2 syllables: THIS-əl. The strong beat is the first one, THIS.
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: /ɪ/ as in “ship”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.


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