How to pronounce petroleum
Say it like puh-TROH-lee-um. Petroleum has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TROH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce petroleum. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- puh
- TROH
- lee
- um
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Petroleum 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.
- TROHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- umKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of petroleum
- American English uses 4 syllables and British English 3.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: puh-TROH-leerm.
What does petroleum mean?
- a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons
Where does petroleum come from?
Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin petroleum.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with petroleum
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of petroleum.
Questions about saying petroleum
How do you pronounce petroleum?
Say puh-TROH-lee-um. The American pronunciation is /pəˈtroʊliəm/. In British English it is /pəˈtrəʊlɪəm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in petroleum?
Petroleum has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TROH). Broken into parts: puh · TROH · lee · um.
Is petroleum pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. American English uses 4 syllables and British English 3. The British form is /pəˈtrəʊlɪəm/ (puh-TROH-leerm).