How to pronounce mental
Say it like MEN-tul. Mental has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce mental. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MEN
- tul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Mental pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- tulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of mental
American and British speakers say mental in essentially the same way: /ˈmɛntəl/ in the US and /ˈmɛntəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: MEN-tul.
What does mental mean?
- involving the mind or an intellectual process“mental images of happy times”“mental calculations”
- of or relating to the mind“mental powers”“mental development”
- of or relating to the chin- or liplike structure in insects and certain mollusks
Where does mental come from?
Borrowing from Middle French mental, from Late Latin mentālis, from mēns (“mind, disposition; heart, soul”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with mental
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of mental.
Questions about saying mental
How do you pronounce mental?
Say MEN-tul. The American pronunciation is /ˈmɛntəl/. In British English it is /ˈmɛntəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in mental?
Mental has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MEN). Broken into parts: MEN · tul.
Do Americans and Brits say mental the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmɛntəl/ and the British form is /ˈmɛntəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.