How to pronounce beautiful
Say it like BYOO-tuh-ful. Beautiful has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BYOO).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce beautiful. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BYOO
- tuh
- ful
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Beautiful pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BYOOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- tuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- fulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of beautiful
- Americans usually soften the t in the middle into a quick d-like tap; British speakers keep a crisp t.
British respelling: BYOO-tih-ful.
What does beautiful mean?
- delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration“a beautiful child”“beautiful country”
- (of weather) highly enjoyable“what a beautiful day”
Where does beautiful come from?
From Middle English bewteful, beautefull (“attractive to the eye, beautiful”), equivalent to beauty + -ful.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying beautiful
How do you pronounce beautiful?
Say BYOO-tuh-ful. The American pronunciation is /ˈbjutəfəl/. In British English it is /ˈbjuːtɪfəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in beautiful?
Beautiful has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BYOO). Broken into parts: BYOO · tuh · ful.
Is beautiful 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 /ˈbjuːtɪfəl/ (BYOO-tih-ful).