How to pronounce frightful
Say it like FRYTE-ful. Frightful has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FRYTE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce frightful. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FRYTE
- ful
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Frightful pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FRYTESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- fulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of frightful
American and British speakers say frightful in essentially the same way: /ˈfraɪtfəl/ in the US and /ˈfraɪtfəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: FRYTE-ful.
What does frightful mean?
- Genuinely horrific, awful, or alarming.
- Unpleasant, dreadful, awful (also used as an intensifier).
Where does frightful come from?
From Middle English frightful (“afraid”), from Old English forhtfull (“fainthearted, timorous”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with frightful
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of frightful.
Questions about saying frightful
How do you pronounce frightful?
Say FRYTE-ful. The American pronunciation is /ˈfraɪtfəl/. In British English it is /ˈfraɪtfəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in frightful?
Frightful has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FRYTE). Broken into parts: FRYTE · ful.
Do Americans and Brits say frightful the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfraɪtfəl/ and the British form is /ˈfraɪtfəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.