How to pronounce surveillance
Say it like ser-VAY-luns. Surveillance has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce surveillance. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ser
- VAY
- luns
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Surveillance 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 "er" in butter.
- VAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- lunsKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of surveillance
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: suh-VAY-luns.
What does surveillance mean?
- close observation of a person or group (usually by the police)
Where does surveillance come from?
Unadapted borrowing from French surveillance (“a watching over, overseeing, supervision”), from surveiller (“to watch, oversee”), from sur- (“over”) + veiller (“to watch”), from Middle French, from Old French veillier (“to stay awake”), fro
Words that rhyme with surveillance
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of surveillance.
Questions about saying surveillance
How do you pronounce surveillance?
Say ser-VAY-luns. The American pronunciation is /sɚˈveɪləns/. In British English it is /səˈveɪləns/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in surveillance?
Surveillance has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VAY). Broken into parts: ser · VAY · luns.
Is surveillance 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 /səˈveɪləns/ (suh-VAY-luns).