How to pronounce sale
Say it like SAYL. Sale 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 sale. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SAYL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sale pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SAYLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of sale
American and British speakers say sale in essentially the same way: /seɪl/ in the US and /seɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SAYL.
What does sale mean?
- a particular instance of selling“he has just made his first sale”“they had to complete the sale before the banks closed”
- the general activity of selling“they tried to boost sales”“laws limit the sale of handguns”
- an occasion (usually brief) for buying at specially reduced prices“they held a sale to reduce their inventory”“I got some great bargains at their annual sale”
Where does sale come from?
From Middle English sale, from Old English sala (“act of selling, sale”), from Old Norse sala (“sale”), from Proto-Germanic *salō (“delivery”), from Proto-Indo-European *selh₁- (“to grab”).
Words that rhyme with sale
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sale.
Words that sound like sale
Questions about saying sale
How do you pronounce sale?
Say SAYL. The American pronunciation is /seɪl/. In British English it is /seɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sale?
Sale is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SAYL.
Do Americans and Brits say sale the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /seɪl/ and the British form is /seɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as sale?
Sale sounds the same as sail in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.