How to pronounce lecture
Say it like LEK-cher. Lecture has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LEK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce lecture. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LEK
- cher
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Lecture pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LEKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- cherKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of lecture
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: LEK-chuh.
What does lecture mean?
- deliver a lecture or talk“She will talk at Rutgers next week”“Did you ever lecture at Harvard?”
- censure severely or angrily“The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car”“The deputy ragged the Prime Minister”
- a speech that is open to the public“he attended a lecture on telecommunications”
- a lengthy rebuke“a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline”“the teacher gave him a talking to”
- teaching by giving a discourse on some subject (typically to a class)
Where does lecture come from?
From Middle English lecture, lectour, letture, letteur, lettur, lectury, from Medieval Latin or Late Latin lectura (“reading”), from Latin lectus, past participle of legō (“to read, recite”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with lecture
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of lecture.
Questions about saying lecture
How do you pronounce lecture?
Say LEK-cher. The American pronunciation is /ˈlɛktʃɚ/. In British English it is /ˈlɛktʃə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in lecture?
Lecture has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LEK). Broken into parts: LEK · cher.
Is lecture 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 /ˈlɛktʃə/ (LEK-chuh).