How to pronounce "parallel"

parallel

Noun
American
/ˈpærəˌlɛl/

Syllable Breakdown

par al lel

How natives say parallel

British
/ˈpærəˌlɛl/

Syllable Breakdown

par al lel

How natives say parallel

Pronunciation Guide In American

Pronunciation Steps

  • Start with 'par' where 'a' is like 'cat'.

  • Then 'al', with a schwa sound like 'uh'.

  • End with 'lel', where 'e' is short like in 'let'.

Common Mistakes

  • pa-ray-lee (par-al-lel)

  • par-lee (par-al-lel)

  • pa-rel-ay (par-al-lel)

Pronunciation Guide In British

Pronunciation Steps

  • Same as American

common mistakes

  • Same as American

FAQ

Why is the 'e' sound different?

It is a short 'e', like in 'let'.

Is the stress on 'par' or 'lel'?

The stress is on the first syllable 'par'.

Are all syllables equally important?

No, stress the first syllable more.

Definition

parallel

Two lines that run the same distance apart.

Word Family

parallelogram

/ˌpærəˈlɛləˌɡræm/

noun

Four-sided shape with opposite sides parallel

Example: A square is a type of parallelogram.

parallelism

/ˈpærəˌlɛlɪzəm/

noun

Balance in phrases or sentences

Example: Parallelism improves writing.

parallelize

/ˈpærəˌlaɪz/

verb

To make parallel

Example: Parallelize the lines in the picture.

Key Pronunciation Differences

The 'lel' in 'parallelize' changes to 'laiz'.

In 'parallelogram', note the added syllables and stress shift.

'Parallelism' has 'ism' instead of just 'lel'.

Pro Tips

Mind the stress

Emphasize the first syllable 'par' to sound natural.

Practice makes perfect

Break down the word into syllables and repeat them.

Nearby Words

Test Your Pronunciation On Words That Have Sound Similarities With Parallel

adjoin

/əˈdʒɔɪn/

apartment

/əˈpɑrt.mənt/

applicable

/ˈæplɪkəbl̩/

arise

/əˈraɪz/

avenue

/ˈæv.ə.nuː/

backstage

/bækˈsteɪdʒ/

bench

/bɛntʃ/

beside

/bɪˈsaɪd/