How to Pronounce Paper

To pronounce "paper", say PAP-er — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈpeɪpə/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

paper

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Accent

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Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

Practice: Record & Compare

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2

Syllables

5

Letters

/ˈpeɪpə/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “paper”

"paper" has 2 syllables: pap-er. It rhymes with caper and vapor, if that helps it stick.

What does paper mean?

noun

  1. A sheet material used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.
  2. A newspaper or anything used as such (such as a newsletter or listing magazine).

verb

  1. To apply paper to.

    “to paper the hallway walls”

  2. To document; to memorialize.

    “After they reached an agreement, their staffs papered it up.”

adjective

  1. Made of paper.

    “paper bag; paper plane”

  2. Insubstantial (from the weakness of common paper)

    “paper tiger; paper gangster”

Synonyms

bookfell

Hear “paper” in real sentences

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

Words that rhyme with paper

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

capervaportaperscraperwallpaperdraperskyscrapersandpapershaperflypapergaperwastepaper

Related words

wallpapercompositionnewspaperreportthemeinkwalletstationery

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "paper"?▾

"Paper" has 2 syllables: pap · er.

What is the IPA transcription of "paper"?▾

The IPA transcription of "paper" is /ˈpeɪpə/.

What does "paper" mean?▾

Paper: A sheet material used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.

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