How to pronounce pale
Say it like PAYL. Pale is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce pale. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PAYL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pale pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PAYLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of pale
American and British speakers say pale in essentially the same way: /peɪl/ in the US and /peɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: PAYL.
What does pale mean?
- very light colored; highly diluted with white“pale seagreen”“pale blue eyes”
- (of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble“the pale light of a half moon”“a pale sun”
- lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness“a pale rendition of the aria”“pale prose with the faint sweetness of lavender”
- a wooden strip forming part of a fence
- turn pale, as if in fear
Where does pale come from?
From Middle English pale, from Old French pale, from Latin pallidus (“pale, pallid”), from palleō (“to be pale; to grow pale; to fade”), from Proto-Indo-European *pelito-, from *pelH- (“gray”).
Words that rhyme with pale
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pale.
Words that sound like pale
Questions about saying pale
How do you pronounce pale?
Say PAYL. The American pronunciation is /peɪl/. In British English it is /peɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pale?
Pale is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PAYL.
Do Americans and Brits say pale the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /peɪl/ and the British form is /peɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as pale?
Pale sounds the same as pail in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.