How to pronounce people
Say it like PEE-pul. People has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce people. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PEE
- pul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
People pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- pulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of people
American and British speakers say people in essentially the same way: /ˈpipəl/ in the US and /ˈpiːpəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: PEE-pul.
What does people mean?
- (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively“old people”“there were at least 200 people in the audience”
- the body of citizens of a state or country“the Spanish people”
- members of a family line“his people have been farmers for generations”“are your people still alive?”
- fill with people“Stalin wanted to people the empty steppes”
- furnish with people“The plains are sparsely populated”
Where does people come from?
Originally used with singular verbs (e.g.
Words that rhyme with people
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of people.
Questions about saying people
How do you pronounce people?
Say PEE-pul. The American pronunciation is /ˈpipəl/. In British English it is /ˈpiːpəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in people?
People has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PEE). Broken into parts: PEE · pul.
Do Americans and Brits say people the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpipəl/ and the British form is /ˈpiːpəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.