How to Pronounce Else

To pronounce "else", say ELS-e — 2 syllables, IPA /ɛls/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

else

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

Practice: Record & Compare

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2

Syllables

4

Letters

/ɛls/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “else”

"else" has 2 syllables: els-e.

What does else mean?

adjective

  1. (used only with indefinite or interrogative pronouns) Other; in addition to previously mentioned items.

    “The instructor is busy. Can anyone else help me?”

adverb

  1. (follows interrogative adverbs) Otherwise, if not.

    “How else (=in what other way) can it be done?”

conjunction

  1. For otherwise; or else.

    “Then the Wronskian of f and g must be nonzero, else they could not be linearly independent.”

Synonyms

otherwise

Hear “else” in real sentences

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

Related words

otheradditionaladdedotherwiseelsewherealsobesidesalternatively

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "else"?▾

"Else" has 2 syllables: els · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "else"?▾

The IPA transcription of "else" is /ɛls/.

What does "else" mean?▾

Else: (used only with indefinite or interrogative pronouns) Other; in addition to previously mentioned items.

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