How to pronounce mediocre
Say it like mee-dee-OH-ker. Mediocre has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (OH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce mediocre. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- mee
- dee
- OH
- ker
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Mediocre pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- meeGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- deeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- OHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- kerKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of mediocre
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: mee-dih-OH-kuh.
What does mediocre mean?
- moderate to inferior in quality“they improved the quality from mediocre to above average”
- lacking exceptional quality or ability“a novel of average merit”“only a fair performance of the sonata”
- poor to middling in quality“there have been good and mediocre and bad artists”
Where does mediocre come from?
From the late Middle English medioker, from the French médiocre, from the Middle French médiocre, from the Classical Latin mediocris (“in a middle state”, “of middle size”, “middling”, “moderate”, “ordinary”, from medius (“middle”) + ocris
Words that rhyme with mediocre
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of mediocre.
Questions about saying mediocre
How do you pronounce mediocre?
Say mee-dee-OH-ker. The American pronunciation is /ˌmidiˈoʊkɚ/. In British English it is /ˌmiːdɪˈəʊkə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in mediocre?
Mediocre has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (OH). Broken into parts: mee · dee · OH · ker.
Is mediocre 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 /ˌmiːdɪˈəʊkə/ (mee-dih-OH-kuh).