To pronounce "ancestral", say ANC-estr-al — 3 syllables, IPA /ænˈsɛs.təɹ.əl/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.
ancestral
Tap to hear · American accent
Accent
If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.
Speed
Syllable by syllable — tap each one
Record yourself saying ancestral, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.
3
Syllables
9
Letters
/ænˈsɛs.təɹ.əl/
IPA
"ancestral" has 3 syllables: anc-estr-al. It rhymes with kestrel and orchestral, if that helps it stick.
adjective
“an ancestral estate”
Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.
Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.
"Ancestral" has 3 syllables: anc · estr · al.
The IPA transcription of "ancestral" is /ænˈsɛs.təɹ.əl/.
Ancestral: Of, pertaining to, derived from, or possessed by, an ancestor or ancestors
Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?
Open “ancestral” in the full dictionary →