How to pronounce cathedral
Say it like kuh-THEE-drul. Cathedral has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (THEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce cathedral. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- kuh
- THEE
- drul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cathedral pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- kuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- THEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- drulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of cathedral
American and British speakers say cathedral in essentially the same way: /kəˈθidrəl/ in the US and /kəˈθiːdrəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: kuh-THEE-drul.
What does cathedral mean?
- any large and important church
- the principal Christian church building of a bishop's diocese
- relating to or containing or issuing from a bishop's office or throne“a cathedral church”
Questions about saying cathedral
How do you pronounce cathedral?
Say kuh-THEE-drul. The American pronunciation is /kəˈθidrəl/. In British English it is /kəˈθiːdrəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cathedral?
Cathedral has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (THEE). Broken into parts: kuh · THEE · drul.
Do Americans and Brits say cathedral the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kəˈθidrəl/ and the British form is /kəˈθiːdrəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.