How to pronounce civilians
Say it like suh-VIL-yunz. Civilians has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce civilians. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- suh
- VIL
- yunz
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Civilians pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- suhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- VILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- yunzKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of civilians
American and British speakers say civilians in essentially the same way: /səˈvɪljənz/ in the US and /sɪˈvɪljənz/ in the UK.
British respelling: sih-VIL-yunz.
What does civilians mean?
- plural of civilian How to pronounce civilian
- Synonym of civvies“He hurried out of his uniform and threw on his civilians.”
Questions about saying civilians
How do you pronounce civilians?
Say suh-VIL-yunz. The American pronunciation is /səˈvɪljənz/. In British English it is /sɪˈvɪljənz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in civilians?
Civilians has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VIL). Broken into parts: suh · VIL · yunz.
Do Americans and Brits say civilians the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /səˈvɪljənz/ and the British form is /sɪˈvɪljənz/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.