How to pronounce children
Say it like CHIL-drun. Children has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (CHIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce children. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- CHIL
- drun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Children pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- CHILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- drunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of children
American and British speakers say children in essentially the same way: /ˈtʃɪldrən/ in the US and /ˈtʃɪldrən/ in the UK.
British respelling: CHIL-drun.
What does children mean?
- plural of child How to pronounce child
- plural of childer How to pronounce childer
Where does children come from?
From Middle English children, alteration of earlier childre ("children"; > English dialectal childer), from Old English ċildru, ċildra (“children”), nominative and accusative plural of ċild (“child”), equivalent to child + -ren.
Questions about saying children
How do you pronounce children?
Say CHIL-drun. The American pronunciation is /ˈtʃɪldrən/. In British English it is /ˈtʃɪldrən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in children?
Children has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (CHIL). Broken into parts: CHIL · drun.
Do Americans and Brits say children the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtʃɪldrən/ and the British form is /ˈtʃɪldrən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.