How to pronounce placebo
Say it like pluh-SEE-boh. Placebo has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce placebo. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- pluh
- SEE
- boh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Placebo pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- pluhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- SEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- bohKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of placebo
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: pluh-SEE-boh.
What does placebo mean?
- A dummy medicine containing no active ingredients; an inert treatment.
- The vespers sung in the office for the dead.
Where does placebo come from?
Inherited from Middle English placebo, borrowed from Latin placēbō (“I will please”), the first-person singular future active indicative of placeō (“to please”).
Words that rhyme with placebo
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of placebo.
Questions about saying placebo
How do you pronounce placebo?
Say pluh-SEE-boh. The American pronunciation is /pləˈsiboʊ/. In British English it is /pləˈsiːbəʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in placebo?
Placebo has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SEE). Broken into parts: pluh · SEE · boh.
Is placebo pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /pləˈsiːbəʊ/ (pluh-SEE-boh).