How to pronounce peripheral
Say it like puh-RIF-uh-rul. Peripheral has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (RIF).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce peripheral. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- puh
- RIF
- uh
- rul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Peripheral 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.
- RIFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- rulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of peripheral
American and British speakers say peripheral in essentially the same way: /pəˈrɪfərəl/ in the US and /pəˈrɪfərəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: puh-RIF-uh-rul.
What does peripheral mean?
- on or near an edge or constituting an outer boundary; the outer area“Russia's peripheral provinces”“peripheral suburbs”
- related to the key issue but not of central importance“a peripheral interest”“energy is far from a peripheral issue in the economy”
- electronic equipment external to the circuit board that contains the CPU of a computer“disk drives and printers are important peripherals”
Where does peripheral come from?
From peripher(y) + -al.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying peripheral
How do you pronounce peripheral?
Say puh-RIF-uh-rul. The American pronunciation is /pəˈrɪfərəl/. In British English it is /pəˈrɪfərəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in peripheral?
Peripheral has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (RIF). Broken into parts: puh · RIF · uh · rul.
Do Americans and Brits say peripheral the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pəˈrɪfərəl/ and the British form is /pəˈrɪfərəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.