How to Pronounce Pitiful

To pronounce "pitiful", say PIT-if-ul — 3 syllables, IPA /ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

pitiful

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

3

Syllables

7

Letters

/ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “pitiful”

"pitiful" has 3 syllables: pit-if-ul.

What does pitiful mean?

adjective

  1. Feeling pity; merciful.
  2. So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.

    “Scotland has a pitiful climate.”

adverb

  1. In a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically.

Hear “pitiful” in real sentences

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

Related words

pitiablepatheticpiteouswretchedmiserablelamentabledeplorablesad

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "pitiful"?▾

"Pitiful" has 3 syllables: pit · if · ul.

What is the IPA transcription of "pitiful"?▾

The IPA transcription of "pitiful" is /ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/.

What does "pitiful" mean?▾

Pitiful: Feeling pity; merciful.

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

Open “pitiful” in the full dictionary →