How to pronounce bristle
Say it like BRIS-ul. Bristle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BRIS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bristle. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BRIS
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bristle pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BRISSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of bristle
American and British speakers say bristle in essentially the same way: /ˈbrɪsəl/ in the US and /ˈbrɪsəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: BRIS-ul.
What does bristle mean?
- A stiff or coarse hair on a nonhuman mammal or on a plant.“the bristles of a pig”
- A chaeta: an analogous filament on arthropods, annelids, or other animals.
- The hairs or other filaments that make up a brush, broom, or similar item, typically made from plant cellulose, animal hairs, or synthetic polymers.
- To rise or stand erect, like bristles.“His hair began to bristle with anger when the subject was mentioned.”
- To abound, to be covered with, or to have an abundance of, something, especially something jutting out.
- To be on one's guard or raise one's defenses; to react with fear, suspicion, or distance.“The employees bristled at the prospect of working through the holidays.”
Where does bristle come from?
From Middle English bristil, bristel, brustel, from Old English bristl, byrst, *brystl, *byrstel, from Proto-West Germanic *burstilu, diminutive of Proto-West Germanic *bursti, from Proto-Germanic *burstiz (compare Dutch borstel, German Bor
Words that rhyme with bristle
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bristle.
Questions about saying bristle
How do you pronounce bristle?
Say BRIS-ul. The American pronunciation is /ˈbrɪsəl/. In British English it is /ˈbrɪsəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bristle?
Bristle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BRIS). Broken into parts: BRIS · ul.
Do Americans and Brits say bristle the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈbrɪsəl/ and the British form is /ˈbrɪsəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.