How to Pronounce Pile

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

pile

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

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Syllables

Letters

/paɪl/

IPA

"pile" has 2 syllables: pil-e. It rhymes with reconcile and vile, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: pyle — easy to mix up when writing.

noun

A mass of things heaped together; a heap.
A group or list of related items up for consideration, especially in some kind of selection process.
“When we were looking for a new housemate, we put the nice woman on the "maybe" pile, and the annoying guy on the "no" pile”

verb

(often used with the preposition "up") To lay or throw into a pile or heap; to heap up; to collect into a mass; to accumulate
“They were piling up wood on the wheelbarrow.”
To cover with heaps; or in great abundance; to fill or overfill; to load.
“We piled the camel with our loads.”

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

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

How many syllables are in "pile"?▾

"Pile" has 2 syllables: pil · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "pile"?▾

The IPA transcription of "pile" is /paɪl/.

What does "pile" mean?▾

Pile: A mass of things heaped together; a heap.

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