How to pronounce legume
Say it like LEG-yoom. Legume has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LEG).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce legume. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LEG
- yoom
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Legume pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LEGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- yoomGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of legume
American and British speakers say legume in essentially the same way: /ˈlɛˌɡjum/ in the US and /ˈlɛˌɡjuːm/ in the UK.
British respelling: LEG-yoom.
What does legume mean?
- The fruit or seed of leguminous plants (as peas or beans) used for food.
- Any of a large family (Fabaceae, syn. Leguminosae) of dicotyledonous herbs, shrubs, and trees having fruits that are legumes or loments, bearing nodules on the roots that contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and including important food and forage plants (as peas, beans, or clovers).
- A pod dehiscent into two pieces or valves, and having the seed attached at one suture, as that of the pea.
Where does legume come from?
Borrowed from French légume, from Latin legūmen (“bean”).
Questions about saying legume
How do you pronounce legume?
Say LEG-yoom. The American pronunciation is /ˈlɛˌɡjum/. In British English it is /ˈlɛˌɡjuːm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in legume?
Legume has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LEG). Broken into parts: LEG · yoom.
Do Americans and Brits say legume the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈlɛˌɡjum/ and the British form is /ˈlɛˌɡjuːm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.