How to pronounce painful
Say it like PAYN-ful. Painful has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PAYN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce painful. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PAYN
- ful
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Painful pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PAYNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- fulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of painful
American and British speakers say painful in essentially the same way: /ˈpeɪnfəl/ in the US and /ˈpeɪnfəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: PAYN-ful.
What does painful mean?
- causing physical or psychological pain“worked with painful slowness”
- causing misery or pain or distress“it was a sore trial to him”“the painful process of growing up”
- exceptionally bad or displeasing“atrocious taste”“abominable workmanship”
Where does painful come from?
From Middle English paynful, peinful, peynful, paynefull, peynefull, equivalent to pain + -ful.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with painful
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of painful.
Questions about saying painful
How do you pronounce painful?
Say PAYN-ful. The American pronunciation is /ˈpeɪnfəl/. In British English it is /ˈpeɪnfəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in painful?
Painful has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PAYN). Broken into parts: PAYN · ful.
Do Americans and Brits say painful the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpeɪnfəl/ and the British form is /ˈpeɪnfəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.