How to pronounce porcelain
Say it like POR-suh-lun. Porcelain has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (POR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce porcelain. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- POR
- suh
- lun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Porcelain pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- suhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- lunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of porcelain
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: PAW-suh-lin.
What does porcelain mean?
- ceramic ware made of a more or less translucent ceramic
Where does porcelain come from?
Borrowed from Middle French porcelaine (“cowrie, wampum; china, chinaware”), from Old Italian porcellana (“cowrie; china, chinaware”), from Italian porcello (“piglet”).
Questions about saying porcelain
How do you pronounce porcelain?
Say POR-suh-lun. The American pronunciation is /ˈpɔrsələn/. In British English it is /ˈpɔːsəlɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in porcelain?
Porcelain has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (POR). Broken into parts: POR · suh · lun.
Is porcelain pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈpɔːsəlɪn/ (PAW-suh-lin).