How to pronounce employ
Say it like em-PLOY. Employ has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (PLOY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce employ. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- em
- PLOY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Employ pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- emKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- PLOYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
American vs British pronunciation of employ
American and British speakers say employ in essentially the same way: /ɛmˈplɔɪ/ in the US and /ɪmˈplɔɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: im-PLOY.
What does employ mean?
- put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose“use your head!”“we only use Spanish at home”
- engage or hire for work“They hired two new secretaries in the department”“How many people has she employed?”
- the state of being employed or having a job“they are looking for employment”“he was in the employ of the city”
Where does employ come from?
From late Middle English emploien, imploien, emplien (“to apply to a specific purpose”), from Anglo-Norman emploier, Old French emploiier (“to entangle, fabricate, to make use of”), ultimately from Latin implicāre (“to infold, entangle, inv
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with employ
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of employ.
Questions about saying employ
How do you pronounce employ?
Say em-PLOY. The American pronunciation is /ɛmˈplɔɪ/. In British English it is /ɪmˈplɔɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in employ?
Employ has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (PLOY). Broken into parts: em · PLOY.
Do Americans and Brits say employ the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɛmˈplɔɪ/ and the British form is /ɪmˈplɔɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.