How to pronounce congratulate
Say it like kun-GRACH-uh-layt. Congratulate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GRACH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce congratulate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- kun
- GRACH
- uh
- layt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Congratulate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- kunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- GRACHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- laytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of congratulate
American and British speakers say congratulate in essentially the same way: /kənˈɡrætʃəˌleɪt/ in the US and /kənˈɡrætʃəˌleɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: kun-GRACH-uh-layt.
What does congratulate mean?
- say something to someone that expresses praise“He complimented her on her last physics paper”
- express congratulations
- be proud of“He prides himself on making it into law school”
Where does congratulate come from?
First attested in 1548; borrowed from Latin congrātulātus, the perfect active participle of Latin congrātulor (“to wish joy, rejoice (with); to congratulate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from con- + grātulor, from grātus (“grateful, p
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying congratulate
How do you pronounce congratulate?
Say kun-GRACH-uh-layt. The American pronunciation is /kənˈɡrætʃəˌleɪt/. In British English it is /kənˈɡrætʃəˌleɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in congratulate?
Congratulate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GRACH). Broken into parts: kun · GRACH · uh · layt.
Do Americans and Brits say congratulate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kənˈɡrætʃəˌleɪt/ and the British form is /kənˈɡrætʃəˌleɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.