How to pronounce pure
Say it like PYOOR. Pure is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce pure. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PYOOR
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pure pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PYOORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
American vs British pronunciation of pure
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: PYOOR.
What does pure mean?
- free of extraneous elements of any kind“pure air and water”“pure gold”
- without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers“an arrant fool”“a complete coward”
- (of color) being chromatically pure; not diluted with white or grey or black
Where does pure come from?
From Middle English pure, pur, from Old French pur, from Latin pūrus (“clean, free from dirt or filth, unmixed, plain”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“to cleanse, purify”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with pure
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pure.
Questions about saying pure
How do you pronounce pure?
Say PYOOR. The American pronunciation is /pjʊr/. In British English it is /pjʊə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pure?
Pure is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PYOOR.
Is pure 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 /pjʊə/ (PYOOR).