How to Pronounce Principle

To pronounce "principle", say PRINC-ipl-e — 3 syllables, IPA /ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

principle

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Accent

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Speed

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3

Syllables

9

Letters

/ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “principle”

"principle" has 3 syllables: princ-ipl-e. It rhymes with principal and subprincipal, if that helps it stick.

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

What does principle mean?

noun

  1. A fundamental assumption or guiding belief.

    “We need some sort of principles to reason from.”

  2. A rule used to choose among solutions to a problem.

    “The principle of least privilege holds that a process should only receive the permissions it needs.”

verb

  1. To equip with principles; to establish, or fix, in certain principles; to impress with any tenet or rule of conduct.

Synonyms

tenet

Hear “principle” 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 principle

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

principalsubprincipal

Related words

preceptrationalerulefundamentalprincipledfundamentallybasicallyessence

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "principle"?▾

"Principle" has 3 syllables: princ · ipl · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "principle"?▾

The IPA transcription of "principle" is /ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/.

What does "principle" mean?▾

Principle: A fundamental assumption or guiding belief.

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