How to Pronounce Parallel

To pronounce "parallel", say PAR-all-el — 3 syllables, IPA /ˈpɛɹəˌɫɛɫ/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

parallel

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 parallel, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Syllables

Letters

/ˈpɛɹəˌɫɛɫ/

🇺🇸 IPA (US)

/pˈæɹəlˌɛl/

🇬🇧 IPA (UK)

💡 Tip for remembering “parallel”

Break "parallel" into 3 beats and lean on "PAR" — that's the stressed one.

What does parallel mean?

noun

One of a set of parallel lines.
Direction conformable to that of another line.

verb

To construct or place something parallel to something else.
Of a path etc: To be parallel to something else.

adjective

Equally distant from one another at all points.
“The horizontal lines on my notebook paper are parallel.”
Having the same overall direction; the comparison is indicated with "to".
“The two railway lines are parallel.”

Antonyms

perpendicularskewserial

Keep practicing

Related pages on PronounceIt, chosen from what we know about this word.

Train the contrast: light vs right

Sounds worth drilling for a word spelled like this:

/r/ — r /l/ — l /ə/ — schwa

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce "parallel"?▾

To pronounce "parallel", say PAR-all-el — 3 syllables, IPA /ˈpɛɹəˌɫɛɫ/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

How many syllables are in "parallel"?▾

"Parallel" has 3 syllables: par · all · el.

What is the IPA transcription of "parallel"?▾

The IPA transcription of "parallel" is /ˈpɛɹəˌɫɛɫ/.

What does "parallel" mean?▾

Parallel: One of a set of parallel lines.

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

Open “parallel” in the full dictionary →