How to pronounce prairie
Say it like PRER-ee. Prairie has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PRER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce prairie. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PRER
- ee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Prairie pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PRERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of prairie
American and British speakers say prairie in essentially the same way: /ˈprɛri/ in the US and /ˈprɛəri/ in the UK.
British respelling: PRAIR-ee.
What does prairie mean?
- a treeless grassy plain
Where does prairie come from?
Borrowed from French prairie, from Old French praerie, from Vulgar Latin *prataria, from Latin prātum (“meadow”) + -aria.
Words that rhyme with prairie
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of prairie.
Questions about saying prairie
How do you pronounce prairie?
Say PRER-ee. The American pronunciation is /ˈprɛri/. In British English it is /ˈprɛəri/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in prairie?
Prairie has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PRER). Broken into parts: PRER · ee.
Do Americans and Brits say prairie the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈprɛri/ and the British form is /ˈprɛəri/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.