How to pronounce “gallery”
Gallery is pronounced /ˈɡæləriː/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — ɡæ. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 3 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting ɡæ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern Ooo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“gallery” sound by sound
“gallery” is built out of 5 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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ɡBack of the tongue seals against the soft palate and releases while the voice is already on — no puff of air.
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æDrop the jaw noticeably, push the front of the tongue low and forward, and spread the lips — it is a flat, bright, fairly long American vowel.
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lTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth and let the voiced air flow around the sides of the tongue.
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ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
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iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
Words that rhyme with “gallery”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “gallery”
Each of these differs from “gallery” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “gallery”
- How do you pronounce “gallery”?
- “gallery” is pronounced /ˈɡæləriː/, with the stress on the first syllable (ɡæ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “gallery”?
- “gallery” has 3 syllables: ɡæ · lər · iː. The stress pattern is Ooo.
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