How to Pronounce Brilliant

To pronounce "brilliant", say BRILL-iant — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈbɹɪɫjənt/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

brilliant

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

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Syllables

Letters

/ˈbɹɪɫjənt/

🇺🇸 IPA (US)

/bɹˈɪlɪənt/

🇬🇧 IPA (UK)

💡 Tip for remembering “brilliant”

Break "brilliant" into 2 beats and lean on "BRILL" — that's the stressed one. It rhymes with resilient, if that helps it stick.

What does brilliant mean?

noun

A finely cut gemstone, especially a diamond, cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to maximize light return through the top (called "table") of the stone.
The size of type between excelsior and diamond, standardized as 4-point.

adjective

Shining brightly.
“the brilliant lights along the promenade”
(of a colour) Both bright and saturated.
“butterflies with brilliant blue wings”

Synonyms

brainy ingenious exceptional glorious magnificent marvellous marvelous splendid

Words that rhyme with brilliant

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

resilient

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "brilliant"?▾

"Brilliant" has 2 syllables: brill · iant.

What is the IPA transcription of "brilliant"?▾

The IPA transcription of "brilliant" is /ˈbɹɪɫjənt/.

What does "brilliant" mean?▾

Brilliant: A finely cut gemstone, especially a diamond, cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to maximize light return through the top (called "table") of the stone.

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