How to pronounce battery
Say it like BAT-uh-ree. Battery has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BAT).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce battery. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BAT
- uh
- ree
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Battery pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BATSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- reeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of battery
- Americans usually soften the t in the middle into a quick d-like tap; British speakers keep a crisp t.
British respelling: BAT-uh-ree.
What does battery mean?
- group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place
- a device that produces electricity; may have several primary or secondary cells arranged in parallel or series
- a collection of related things intended for use together“took a battery of achievement tests”
Where does battery come from?
The electrical sense was coined by American polymath Benjamin Franklin by analogy with a military battery that his series of Leyden jars resembled.
Questions about saying battery
How do you pronounce battery?
Say BAT-uh-ree. The American pronunciation is /ˈbætəri/. In British English it is /ˈbætəri/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in battery?
Battery has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BAT). Broken into parts: BAT · uh · ree.
Is battery pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans usually soften the t in the middle into a quick d-like tap; British speakers keep a crisp t. The British form is /ˈbætəri/ (BAT-uh-ree).