How to pronounce layer
Say it like LAY-er. Layer has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce layer. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LAY
- er
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Layer pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- erKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of layer
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: LAY-uh.
What does layer mean?
- single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance“slices of hard-boiled egg on a bed of spinach”
- a relatively thin sheetlike expanse or region lying over or under another
- an abstract place usually conceived as having depth“a good actor communicates on several levels”“a simile has at least two layers of meaning”
- make or form a layer“layer the different colored sands”
Where does layer come from?
However, this word layer (referring to a thickness of a material covering a surface) has also been argued to be from a respelling of an obsolete sense of the word lair that was once used by farmers, which had to do with soil.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with layer
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of layer.
Questions about saying layer
How do you pronounce layer?
Say LAY-er. The American pronunciation is /ˈleɪɚ/. In British English it is /ˈleɪə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in layer?
Layer has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LAY). Broken into parts: LAY · er.
Is layer pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈleɪə/ (LAY-uh).