How to pronounce xylophone
Say it like ZY-luh-fohn. Xylophone has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (ZY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce xylophone. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ZY
- luh
- fohn
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Xylophone pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ZYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- luhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- fohnGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of xylophone
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: ZY-luh-fohn.
What does xylophone mean?
- Any musical instrument (percussion idiophone) made of wooden slats graduated so as to make the sounds of the scale when struck with a small drumstick-like mallet; the standard Western concert xylophone or one of its derivatives.“All I know how to play on my xylophone is "Mary Had a Little Lamb". Would you like to hear it?”
- To play a xylophone or to play something else as though it was a xylophone.
- To move above a ridged surface or series of surfaces so as to hit every ridge, in a manner similar to playing quickly and sequentially on a xylophone.
Where does xylophone come from?
From xylo- (“of wood”) + -phone (“sound”).
Questions about saying xylophone
How do you pronounce xylophone?
Say ZY-luh-fohn. The American pronunciation is /ˈzaɪləˌfoʊn/. In British English it is /ˈzaɪləˌfəʊn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in xylophone?
Xylophone has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (ZY). Broken into parts: ZY · luh · fohn.
Is xylophone 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 /ˈzaɪləˌfəʊn/ (ZY-luh-fohn).