How to pronounce difficulty
Say it like DIF-uh-kul-tee. Difficulty has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DIF).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce difficulty. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DIF
- uh
- kul
- tee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Difficulty pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DIFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- kulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- teeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of difficulty
American and British speakers say difficulty in essentially the same way: /ˈdɪfəkəlti/ in the US and /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/ in the UK.
British respelling: DIF-ih-kul-tee.
What does difficulty mean?
- an effort that is inconvenient“I went to a lot of trouble”“he won without any trouble”
- a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result“serious difficulties were encountered in obtaining a pure reagent”
- a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome“grappling with financial difficulties”
Where does difficulty come from?
From Middle English difficulte, from Middle French and Anglo-Norman difficulte and their etymon Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile and difficult.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying difficulty
How do you pronounce difficulty?
Say DIF-uh-kul-tee. The American pronunciation is /ˈdɪfəkəlti/. In British English it is /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in difficulty?
Difficulty has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DIF). Broken into parts: DIF · uh · kul · tee.
Do Americans and Brits say difficulty the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈdɪfəkəlti/ and the British form is /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.