How to pronounce license
Say it like LY-suns. License has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce license. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LY
- suns
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
License pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- sunsKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of license
American and British speakers say license in essentially the same way: /ˈlaɪsəns/ in the US and /ˈlaɪsəns/ in the UK.
British respelling: LY-suns.
What does license mean?
- a legal document giving official permission to do something
- freedom to deviate deliberately from normally applicable rules or practices (especially in behavior or speech)
- excessive freedom; lack of due restraint“when liberty becomes license dictatorship is near”“the intolerable license with which the newspapers break...the rules of decorum”
- authorize officially“I am licensed to practice law in this state”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with license
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of license.
Words that sound like license
Questions about saying license
How do you pronounce license?
Say LY-suns. The American pronunciation is /ˈlaɪsəns/. In British English it is /ˈlaɪsəns/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in license?
License has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LY). Broken into parts: LY · suns.
Do Americans and Brits say license the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈlaɪsəns/ and the British form is /ˈlaɪsəns/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as license?
License sounds the same as licence in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.