How to pronounce male
Say it like MAYL. Male is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce male. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MAYL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Male pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MAYLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of male
American and British speakers say male in essentially the same way: /meɪl/ in the US and /meɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: MAYL.
What does male mean?
- an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes (ova)
- a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies
- the capital of Maldives in the center of the islands
- being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that perform the fertilizing function in generation“a male infant”“a male holly tree”
- characteristic of a man“a deep male voice”“manly sports”
- for or pertaining to or composed of men or boys“the male lead”“the male population”
Where does male come from?
From Middle English male, borrowed from Old French malle, masle (Modern French mâle), from Latin masculus (“masculine, a male”), diminutive of mās (“male, masculine”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with male
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of male.
Words that sound like male
Questions about saying male
How do you pronounce male?
Say MAYL. The American pronunciation is /meɪl/. In British English it is /meɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in male?
Male is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: MAYL.
Do Americans and Brits say male the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /meɪl/ and the British form is /meɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as male?
Male sounds the same as mail in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.