How to pronounce development
Say it like dih-VEL-up-munt. Development has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VEL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce development. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- VEL
- up
- munt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Development pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- VELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- upKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- muntKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of development
American and British speakers say development in essentially the same way: /dɪˈvɛləpmənt/ in the US and /dɪˈvɛləpmənt/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-VEL-up-munt.
What does development mean?
- act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining“he congratulated them on their development of a plan to meet the emergency”“they funded research and development”
- a process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage)“the development of his ideas took many years”“the evolution of Greek civilization”
- (biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level“he proposed an indicator of osseous development in children”
Where does development come from?
From French développement, from Old French desvelopemens (“unrolling”).
Questions about saying development
How do you pronounce development?
Say dih-VEL-up-munt. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈvɛləpmənt/. In British English it is /dɪˈvɛləpmənt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in development?
Development has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VEL). Broken into parts: dih · VEL · up · munt.
Do Americans and Brits say development the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪˈvɛləpmənt/ and the British form is /dɪˈvɛləpmənt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.