How to Pronounce Cardinal

To pronounce "cardinal", say CARD-in-al — 3 syllables, IPA /ˈkɑː.dɪ.nəl/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

cardinal

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Accent

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3

Syllables

8

Letters

/ˈkɑː.dɪ.nəl/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “cardinal”

"cardinal" has 3 syllables: card-in-al.

What does cardinal mean?

noun

  1. One of the officials appointed by the pope in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking only below the pope and the patriarchs, constituting the special college which elects the pope. (See Wikipedia article on Catholic cardinals.)
  2. Any of a genus of songbirds of the finch family, Cardinalis.

adjective

  1. Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.

    “a cardinal rule”

  2. Of or relating to the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west).

    “a cardinal mark”

Hear “cardinal” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Related words

importantfundamentalprimalxxxviviitwox

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "cardinal"?▾

"Cardinal" has 3 syllables: card · in · al.

What is the IPA transcription of "cardinal"?▾

The IPA transcription of "cardinal" is /ˈkɑː.dɪ.nəl/.

What does "cardinal" mean?▾

Cardinal: One of the officials appointed by the pope in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking only below the pope and the patriarchs, constituting the special college which elects the pope. (See Wikipedia article on Catholic cardinals.)

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