How to pronounce emergency
Say it like EE-mer-jun-see. Emergency has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (EE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce emergency. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- EE
- mer
- jun
- see
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Emergency pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- EESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- merKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
- junKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- seeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of emergency
- The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 1, while British speakers stress syllable 2.
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: ih-MUR-jun-see.
Other ways to say emergency
Emergency also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- ih-MUR-jun-see /ɪˈmɝdʒənsi/
What does emergency mean?
- a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action“he never knew what to do in an emergency”
- a state in which martial law applies“the governor declared a state of emergency”
- a brake operated by hand; usually operates by mechanical linkage
Where does emergency come from?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin emergentia, from Latin emergens, present participle of emergo (“to emerge, arise, come forth”), equivalent to emergent + -cy or emerge + -ency.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying emergency
How do you pronounce emergency?
Say EE-mer-jun-see. The American pronunciation is /ˈimɚdʒənsi/. In British English it is /ɪˈmɜːdʒənsi/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in emergency?
Emergency has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (EE). Broken into parts: EE · mer · jun · see.
Is emergency pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 1, while British speakers stress syllable 2. The British form is /ɪˈmɜːdʒənsi/ (ih-MUR-jun-see).