How to pronounce sylvan
Say it like SIL-vun. Sylvan has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sylvan. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SIL
- vun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sylvan pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- vunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of sylvan
American and British speakers say sylvan in essentially the same way: /ˈsɪlvən/ in the US and /ˈsɪlvən/ in the UK.
British respelling: SIL-vun.
What does sylvan mean?
- One who resides in the woods.
- A fabled deity of the wood; a faun, a satyr.
- Pertaining to the forest, or woodlands.
- Residing in a forest or wood.
- Wooded, or covered in forest.
Where does sylvan come from?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin sylvanus, possibly via Middle French sylvain, from Latin silvanus, cognate with Latin Silvānus (“Roman god of the woods”), from silva (“forest”), from Proto-Indo-European *sel-, *swel- (“beam, board, frame, threshold”).
Questions about saying sylvan
How do you pronounce sylvan?
Say SIL-vun. The American pronunciation is /ˈsɪlvən/. In British English it is /ˈsɪlvən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sylvan?
Sylvan has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SIL). Broken into parts: SIL · vun.
Do Americans and Brits say sylvan the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsɪlvən/ and the British form is /ˈsɪlvən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.