How to pronounce jellyfish
Say it like JEL-ee-fish. Jellyfish has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (JEL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce jellyfish. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- JEL
- ee
- fish
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Jellyfish pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- JELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- fishGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of jellyfish
American and British speakers say jellyfish in essentially the same way: /ˈdʒɛliˌfɪʃ/ in the US and /ˈdʒɛliˌfɪʃ/ in the UK.
British respelling: JEL-ee-fish.
What does jellyfish mean?
- An almost transparent aquatic animal; any one of the acalephs, especially one of the larger species, having a jellylike appearance.
- Any of various species of cnidarians in the subphylum Medusozoa, including box jellyfish (class Cubozoa), true jellyfish (class Scyphozoa), stalked jellyfish (class Staurozoa), and certain hydrozoans.
- The medusa phase of these animals rather than a younger life stage.
Where does jellyfish come from?
The term appeared in the mid-19th century and displaced various older terms such as sea jelly (now much less common), blubber/sea blubber, nettle/sea nettle (both now referring to specific jellyfish species), and, in scientific literature, medusa.
Questions about saying jellyfish
How do you pronounce jellyfish?
Say JEL-ee-fish. The American pronunciation is /ˈdʒɛliˌfɪʃ/. In British English it is /ˈdʒɛliˌfɪʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in jellyfish?
Jellyfish has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (JEL). Broken into parts: JEL · ee · fish.
Do Americans and Brits say jellyfish the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈdʒɛliˌfɪʃ/ and the British form is /ˈdʒɛliˌfɪʃ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.