How to pronounce surprisal
Say it like ser-PRY-zul. Surprisal has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (PRY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce surprisal. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ser
- PRY
- zul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Surprisal pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- serKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- PRYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- zulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of surprisal
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: suh-PRY-zul.
What does surprisal mean?
- An information measure as equal in bits (binary digits) to the base-2 log of 1 over the probability, with the result that the number of choices equals 2ⁿ where n is the number of bits.
Where does surprisal come from?
(information measure): Defined by Myron Tribus in the 1961 book Thermostatics and Thermodynamics.
Words that rhyme with surprisal
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of surprisal.
Questions about saying surprisal
How do you pronounce surprisal?
Say ser-PRY-zul. The American pronunciation is /sərˈpraɪzəl/. In British English it is /səˈpraɪzəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in surprisal?
Surprisal has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (PRY). Broken into parts: ser · PRY · zul.
Is surprisal 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 /səˈpraɪzəl/ (suh-PRY-zul).