How to pronounce colloquial
Say it like kuh-LOH-kwee-ul. Colloquial has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LOH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce colloquial. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- kuh
- LOH
- kwee
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Colloquial 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.
- LOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- kweeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of colloquial
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: kuh-LOH-kwee-ul.
What does colloquial mean?
- Characteristic of familiar conversation, of common parlance; informal.“You're using too many colloquial words in this cover letter: I suggest changing "I picked up loads of cool skills" to "I acquired many positive abilities"”
- Of or pertaining to a conversation; conversational or chatty.
- A colloquial word or phrase, colloquialism.
Where does colloquial come from?
1751, from earlier term colloquy (“a conversation”), from Latin colloquium (“conference, conversation”), from con- (“together”) + loquor (“to speak”), + -al.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying colloquial
How do you pronounce colloquial?
Say kuh-LOH-kwee-ul. The American pronunciation is /kəˈloʊkwiəl/. In British English it is /kəˈləʊkwiəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in colloquial?
Colloquial has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LOH). Broken into parts: kuh · LOH · kwee · ul.
Is colloquial pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /kəˈləʊkwiəl/ (kuh-LOH-kwee-ul).