How to pronounce freelance
Say it like FREE-lans. Freelance has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FREE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce freelance. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FREE
- lans
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Freelance pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FREESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- lansGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of freelance
American and British speakers say freelance in essentially the same way: /ˈfriˌlæns/ in the US and /ˈfriːˌlæns/ in the UK.
British respelling: FREE-lans.
What does freelance mean?
- a writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them
- work independently and on temporary contracts rather than for a long-term employer
- working for yourself
- serving for wages in a foreign army“mercenary killers”
Where does freelance come from?
From free + lance. Coined by Walter Scott (1771–1832) in Ivanhoe (1819; see quotation) to describe a medieval mercenary warrior or "free-lance" (indicating that the lance is not sworn to any lord's services).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying freelance
How do you pronounce freelance?
Say FREE-lans. The American pronunciation is /ˈfriˌlæns/. In British English it is /ˈfriːˌlæns/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in freelance?
Freelance has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FREE). Broken into parts: FREE · lans.
Do Americans and Brits say freelance the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfriˌlæns/ and the British form is /ˈfriːˌlæns/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.