How to pronounce capercaillie
Say it like kap-er-KAY-lee. Capercaillie has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (KAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce capercaillie. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- kap
- er
- KAY
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Capercaillie pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- kapKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- erKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
- KAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of capercaillie
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: kap-uh-KAY-lee.
What does capercaillie mean?
- A large, black grouse of the genus Tetrao in the bird family Phasianidae, especially the western capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus.
Where does capercaillie come from?
Borrowed from Scots capercailzie (for the -z-, see Mackenzie and tailzie), a corruption of Scottish Gaelic capall (“horse”) + coille (“of the woods”).
Words that rhyme with capercaillie
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of capercaillie.
Questions about saying capercaillie
How do you pronounce capercaillie?
Say kap-er-KAY-lee. The American pronunciation is /kæpɚˈkeɪli/. In British English it is /kæpəˈkeɪli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in capercaillie?
Capercaillie has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (KAY). Broken into parts: kap · er · KAY · lee.
Is capercaillie pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /kæpəˈkeɪli/ (kap-uh-KAY-lee).