How to pronounce totalitarian

Q: How do you pronounce totalitarian?

Say toh-tal-ih-TER-ee-un. The American pronunciation is /ˌtoʊˌtælɪˈtɛriən/. In British English it is /ˌtəʊtælɪˈtɛəriən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.

Say it like toh-tal-ih-TER-ee-un. Totalitarian has six syllables, and the main stress falls on the fourth one (TER).

VoiceSpeed

Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce totalitarian. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.

US American/ˌtoʊˌtælɪˈtɛriən/toh-tal-ih-TER-ee-un

UK British/ˌtəʊtælɪˈtɛəriən/toh-tal-ih-TAIR-ree-un

Main stress
Lighter stress
Unstressed

Totalitarian pronunciation, sound by sound

Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.

tohGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "o" in go.
talGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
TERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.

American vs British pronunciation of totalitarian

The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".

British respelling: toh-tal-ih-TAIR-ree-un.

What does totalitarian mean?

adjective

Of or relating to a system of government where the people have virtually no authority and the state wields absolute control of every aspect of the country, socially, financially, and politically.“The divine truth is stronger than totalitarian falsehoods.”

noun

An advocate of totalitarianism.

Where does totalitarian come from?

From Italian totalitario (“complete, absolute, totalitarian”) + -an.

Words that rhyme with totalitarian

Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of totalitarian.

Questions about saying totalitarian

How do you pronounce totalitarian?

Say toh-tal-ih-TER-ee-un. The American pronunciation is /ˌtoʊˌtælɪˈtɛriən/. In British English it is /ˌtəʊtælɪˈtɛəriən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.

How many syllables are in totalitarian?

Totalitarian has six syllables, and the main stress falls on the fourth one (TER). Broken into parts: toh · tal · ih · TER · ee · un.

Is totalitarian pronounced differently in British English?

Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /ˌtəʊtælɪˈtɛəriən/ (toh-tal-ih-TAIR-ree-un).