How to pronounce female
Say it like FEE-mayl. Female has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce female. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FEE
- mayl
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Female pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- maylGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of female
American and British speakers say female in essentially the same way: /ˈfiˌmeɪl/ in the US and /ˈfiːˌmeɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: FEE-mayl.
What does female mean?
- an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes (spermatozoa)
- a person who belongs to the sex that can have babies
- being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop“a female heir”“female holly trees bear the berries”
- characteristic of or peculiar to a woman“female sensitiveness”“female suffrage”
- for or pertaining to or composed of women or girls“the female lead in the play”“a female chorus”
Where does female come from?
From Middle English female, an alteration of Middle English femele, from Old French femele, femelle (“female”), from Medieval Latin fēmella (“a female”), from Latin fēmella (“a girl, a young female, a young woman”), diminutive of fēmina (“a woman”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying female
How do you pronounce female?
Say FEE-mayl. The American pronunciation is /ˈfiˌmeɪl/. In British English it is /ˈfiːˌmeɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in female?
Female has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FEE). Broken into parts: FEE · mayl.
Do Americans and Brits say female the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfiˌmeɪl/ and the British form is /ˈfiːˌmeɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.