How to pronounce mothballs
Say it like MAWTH-bawlz. Mothballs has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MAWTH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce mothballs. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MAWTH
- bawlz
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Mothballs pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MAWTHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- bawlzGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of mothballs
American and British speakers say mothballs in essentially the same way: /ˈmɔθˌbɔlz/ in the US and /ˈmɒθˌbɔːlz/ in the UK.
British respelling: MOTH-bawlz.
What does mothballs mean?
- plural of mothball How to pronounce mothball
- third-person singular simple present indicative of mothball How to pronounce mothball
Questions about saying mothballs
How do you pronounce mothballs?
Say MAWTH-bawlz. The American pronunciation is /ˈmɔθˌbɔlz/. In British English it is /ˈmɒθˌbɔːlz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in mothballs?
Mothballs has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MAWTH). Broken into parts: MAWTH · bawlz.
Do Americans and Brits say mothballs the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmɔθˌbɔlz/ and the British form is /ˈmɒθˌbɔːlz/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.