How to pronounce novel
Say it like NOV-ul. Novel has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (NOV).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce novel. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NOV
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Novel pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NOVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of novel
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: NOV-ul.
What does novel mean?
- an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
- a printed and bound book that is an extended work of fiction“his bookcases were filled with nothing but novels”“he burned all the novels”
- original and of a kind not seen before“the computer produced a completely novel proof of a well-known theorem”
- pleasantly new or different“common sense of a most refreshing sort”
Where does novel come from?
From Middle English novel, from Old French novel (“new, fresh, recent, recently made or done, strange, rare”) (modern nouvel, nouveau), from Latin novellus (“new, fresh, young, modern”), diminutive of novus (“new”).
Words that rhyme with novel
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of novel.
Questions about saying novel
How do you pronounce novel?
Say NOV-ul. The American pronunciation is /ˈnɑvəl/. In British English it is /ˈnɒvəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in novel?
Novel has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (NOV). Broken into parts: NOV · ul.
Is novel pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /ˈnɒvəl/ (NOV-ul).