How to Pronounce Diesel

To pronounce "diesel", say DIES-el — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈdiːzəl/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

diesel

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Accent

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Speed

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2

Syllables

6

Letters

/ˈdiːzəl/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “diesel”

"diesel" has 2 syllables: dies-el. It rhymes with weasel and decile, if that helps it stick.

What does diesel mean?

noun

  1. A fuel derived from petroleum (or other oils) but heavier than gasoline/petrol. Used to power diesel engines which burn this fuel using the heat produced when air is compressed.
  2. A vehicle powered by a diesel engine.

verb

  1. To ignite a substance by using the heat generated by compression
  2. For a spark-ignition internal combustion engine to continue running after the electrical current to the spark plugs has been turned off. This occurs when there's enough heat in the combustion chamber to ignite the air and fuel mixture without a spark, the same way that heat and pressure cause ignition in a diesel engine.

    “The only reason the VW bug has a solenoid is to prevent it from dieseling.”

Words that rhyme with diesel

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

weaseldecileteaselresilececileaseldecalmeaslemeazelquezalsisalteazel

Related words

fleetfueloil-firedgasolineelectricspetrolkerosenegas

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "diesel"?▾

"Diesel" has 2 syllables: dies · el.

What is the IPA transcription of "diesel"?▾

The IPA transcription of "diesel" is /ˈdiːzəl/.

What does "diesel" mean?▾

Diesel: A fuel derived from petroleum (or other oils) but heavier than gasoline/petrol. Used to power diesel engines which burn this fuel using the heat produced when air is compressed.

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