How to pronounce ethereal
Say it like ih-THEER-ee-ul. Ethereal has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (THEER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ethereal. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ih
- THEER
- ee
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ethereal pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- THEERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of ethereal
American and British speakers say ethereal in essentially the same way: /ɪˈθɪriəl/ in the US and /ɪˈθɪərɪəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: ih-THEER-ih-ul.
What does ethereal mean?
- Pertaining to the presupposition of an invisible air-like element permeating all of space, or to the higher regions beyond the earth or beyond the atmosphere.“ethereal space”
- Pertaining to the immaterial realm, as symbolically represented by, or (in earlier epochs) conflated with, such atmospheric and extra-atmospheric concepts.
- Consisting of ether; hence, exceedingly light or airy; tenuous; spiritlike; characterized by extreme delicacy, as form, manner, thought, etc.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with ethereal
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ethereal.
Questions about saying ethereal
How do you pronounce ethereal?
Say ih-THEER-ee-ul. The American pronunciation is /ɪˈθɪriəl/. In British English it is /ɪˈθɪərɪəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ethereal?
Ethereal has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (THEER). Broken into parts: ih · THEER · ee · ul.
Do Americans and Brits say ethereal the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɪˈθɪriəl/ and the British form is /ɪˈθɪərɪəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.