How to pronounce riddle
Say it like RID-ul. Riddle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (RID).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce riddle. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RID
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Riddle pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RIDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of riddle
American and British speakers say riddle in essentially the same way: /ˈrɪdəl/ in the US and /ˈrɪdəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: RID-ul.
What does riddle mean?
- To speak ambiguously or enigmatically.
- To solve, answer, or explicate a riddle or question.“Riddle me this.”
- A verbal puzzle, mystery, or other problem of an intellectual nature.“Here's a riddle: It's black, and white, and red all over. What is it?”
- An ancient verbal, poetic, or literary form, in which, rather than a rhyme scheme, there are parallel opposing expressions with a hidden meaning.
- A sieve with coarse meshes, usually of wire, for separating coarser materials from finer, as chaff from grain, cinders from ashes, or gravel from sand.
- A board with a row of pins, set zigzag, between which wire is drawn to straighten it.
Where does riddle come from?
From Middle English redel, redels, from Old English rǣdels, rǣdelse (“counsel, opinion, imagination, riddle”), from Proto-West Germanic *rādislī (“counsel, conjecture”).
Words that rhyme with riddle
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of riddle.
Questions about saying riddle
How do you pronounce riddle?
Say RID-ul. The American pronunciation is /ˈrɪdəl/. In British English it is /ˈrɪdəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in riddle?
Riddle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (RID). Broken into parts: RID · ul.
Do Americans and Brits say riddle the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈrɪdəl/ and the British form is /ˈrɪdəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.