How to Pronounce Difficult

To pronounce "difficult", say DIFF-ic-ult — 3 syllables, IPA /ˈdɪfɪkəlt/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

difficult

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

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying difficult, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Syllables

Letters

/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “difficult”

"difficult" has 3 syllables: diff-ic-ult.

What does difficult mean?

verb

To make difficult; to impede; to perplex.

adjective

Hard, not easy, requiring much effort.
“However, the difficult weather conditions will ensure Yunnan has plenty of freshwater.”
(often of a person, or a horse, etc) Hard to manage, uncooperative, troublesome.
“Stop being difficult and eat your broccoli—you know it's good for you.”

Synonyms

burdensome cumbersome hard

Hear “difficult” in real sentences

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

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "difficult"?▾

"Difficult" has 3 syllables: diff · ic · ult.

What is the IPA transcription of "difficult"?▾

The IPA transcription of "difficult" is /ˈdɪfɪkəlt/.

What does "difficult" mean?▾

Difficult: To make difficult; to impede; to perplex.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “difficult” in the full dictionary →