How to Pronounce Preoccupied

To pronounce "preoccupied", say PREOCC-up-ied — 3 syllables. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

preoccupied

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

3

Syllables

11

Letters

PREOCC-up-ied

Say it like

💡 Tip for remembering “preoccupied”

"preoccupied" has 3 syllables: preocc-up-ied. It rhymes with abide and stride, if that helps it stick.

What does preoccupied mean?

adjective

  1. Concerned with something else; distracted; giving one's attention elsewhere.

    “I was preoccupied with a deadline at work, and I forgot his birthday.”

  2. Describing a scientific name that was previously used, a junior homonym.

verb

  1. To distract; to occupy or draw attention elsewhere.

    “The father tried to preoccupy the child with his keys.”

  2. To occupy or take possession of beforehand.

Hear “preoccupied” 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 preoccupied

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

abidestridesnidechidederideprovideglidegratifieddignifiedmortifiedidentifiedundignified

Related words

lostbemusedconcernedobsessedthoughtfulhaunteddistracteddisrupted

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "preoccupied"?▾

"Preoccupied" has 3 syllables: preocc · up · ied.

What does "preoccupied" mean?▾

Preoccupied: Concerned with something else; distracted; giving one's attention elsewhere.

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

Open “preoccupied” in the full dictionary →