How to pronounce celebrate
Say it like SEL-ub-rayt. Celebrate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SEL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce celebrate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SEL
- ub
- rayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Celebrate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- ubKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- raytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of celebrate
American and British speakers say celebrate in essentially the same way: /ˈsɛləbˌreɪt/ in the US and /ˈsɛləbˌreɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: SEL-ub-rayt.
What does celebrate mean?
- behave as expected during of holidays or rites“Keep the commandments”“celebrate Christmas”
- have a celebration“They were feting the patriarch of the family”“After the exam, the students were celebrating”
- assign great social importance to“The film director was celebrated all over Hollywood”“The tenor was lionized in Vienna”
Where does celebrate come from?
From Middle English celebraten, from celebrat(e) (“celebrated”, also used as the past participle of celebraten) + -en, borrowed from Latin celebrātus, perfect passive participle of celebrō (“frequent, go to in great numbers, celebrate, hono
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying celebrate
How do you pronounce celebrate?
Say SEL-ub-rayt. The American pronunciation is /ˈsɛləbˌreɪt/. In British English it is /ˈsɛləbˌreɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in celebrate?
Celebrate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SEL). Broken into parts: SEL · ub · rayt.
Do Americans and Brits say celebrate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsɛləbˌreɪt/ and the British form is /ˈsɛləbˌreɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.