How to pronounce periphery
Say it like puh-RIF-uh-ree. Periphery 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 periphery. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- puh
- RIF
- uh
- ree
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Periphery 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.
- reeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of periphery
American and British speakers say periphery in essentially the same way: /pəˈrɪfəri/ in the US and /pəˈrɪfəri/ in the UK.
British respelling: puh-RIF-uh-ree.
What does periphery mean?
- The outside boundary, parts or surface of something.“The suburbs are a city's periphery.”
- A first-rank administrative division of Greece, subdivided into provinces.
- The more anomalous and infrequent aspects of a language, as opposed to the frequent and regular core aspects.
Where does periphery come from?
Borrowed from Middle French peripherie.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying periphery
How do you pronounce periphery?
Say puh-RIF-uh-ree. The American pronunciation is /pəˈrɪfəri/. In British English it is /pəˈrɪfəri/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in periphery?
Periphery has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (RIF). Broken into parts: puh · RIF · uh · ree.
Do Americans and Brits say periphery the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pəˈrɪfəri/ and the British form is /pəˈrɪfəri/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.