How to pronounce pedestrian
Say it like puh-DES-tree-un. Pedestrian has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (DES).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce pedestrian. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- puh
- DES
- tree
- un
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pedestrian pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- puhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- DESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- treeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of pedestrian
- American English uses 4 syllables and British English 3.
British respelling: pih-DES-treern.
What does pedestrian mean?
- a person who travels by foot
- lacking wit or imagination“a pedestrian movie plot”
Where does pedestrian come from?
From Latin pedester (oblique stem pedestri-) + English -an.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with pedestrian
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pedestrian.
Questions about saying pedestrian
How do you pronounce pedestrian?
Say puh-DES-tree-un. The American pronunciation is /pəˈdɛstriən/. In British English it is /pɪˈdɛstrɪən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pedestrian?
Pedestrian has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (DES). Broken into parts: puh · DES · tree · un.
Is pedestrian pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. American English uses 4 syllables and British English 3. The British form is /pɪˈdɛstrɪən/ (pih-DES-treern).