How to pronounce inalienable
Say it like ih-NAY-lee-uh-nuh-bul. Inalienable has six syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce inalienable. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ih
- NAY
- lee
- uh
- nuh
- bul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Inalienable 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.
- NAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- nuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- bulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of inalienable
American and British speakers say inalienable in essentially the same way: /ɪˈneɪliənəbəl/ in the US and /ɪˈneɪlɪənəbəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: ih-NAY-lih-uh-nuh-bul.
What does inalienable mean?
- Not subject to being alienated, that is, surrendered, taken away, or transferred to another.“An inalienable right is a right that cannot be given away nor taken away.”
- Of or pertaining to a noun belonging to a special class in which the possessive construction differs from the norm, especially for particular familial relationships and body parts, regarding permanence.
Where does inalienable come from?
Borrowed around 1645 from French inaliénable, from in- + aliénable (“alienable”), equivalent to in- + alienable.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying inalienable
How do you pronounce inalienable?
Say ih-NAY-lee-uh-nuh-bul. The American pronunciation is /ɪˈneɪliənəbəl/. In British English it is /ɪˈneɪlɪənəbəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in inalienable?
Inalienable has six syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAY). Broken into parts: ih · NAY · lee · uh · nuh · bul.
Do Americans and Brits say inalienable the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɪˈneɪliənəbəl/ and the British form is /ɪˈneɪlɪənəbəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.