How to pronounce flightless
Say it like FLYTE-lus. Flightless has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FLYTE).
- FLYTE
- lus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Flightless pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FLYTESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- lusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of flightless
American and British speakers say flightless in essentially the same way: /ˈflaɪtləs/ in the US and /ˈflaɪtləs/ in the UK.
British respelling: FLYTE-lus.
What does flightless mean?
- Describing kinds of birds that normally cannot fly, such as the penguin, ostrich, and emu.“The indigenous fauna of Australia and New Zealand featured an especially interesting array of flightless birds.”
- Describing an individual bird that normally would be able to fly but in this case cannot, such as an injured sparrow.“The animal shelter has a flightless sparrow named Shiny, who seems to make up for his disability by being an avid runner.”
- Suddenly deprived of a scheduled (airline) flight by its cancellation.“Oh great, some wind is blowing in Chicago, so now I'm flightless in Seattle, because this airline can't cope!”
Where does flightless come from?
From flight + -less.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- nonflying
- nonvolant
- apterous
- wingless
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying flightless
How do you pronounce flightless?
Say FLYTE-lus. The American pronunciation is /ˈflaɪtləs/. In British English it is /ˈflaɪtləs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in flightless?
Flightless has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FLYTE). Broken into parts: FLYTE · lus.
Do Americans and Brits say flightless the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈflaɪtləs/ and the British form is /ˈflaɪtləs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.