How to Pronounce Professional

To pronounce "professional", say prof-ESS-ion-al — 4 syllables, IPA /pɹəˈfɛʃənəɫ/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

professional

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

4

Syllables

12

Letters

/pɹəˈfɛʃənəɫ/

🇺🇸 IPA (US)

/pɹəfˈɛʃənəl/

🇬🇧 IPA (UK)

💡 Tip for remembering “professional”

Break "professional" into 4 beats and lean on "ESS" — that's the stressed one.

What does professional mean?

noun

  1. A person who belongs to a profession.
  2. A white-collar worker, especially one with a specialized, high-earning job such as a doctor or engineer.

adjective

  1. Of, pertaining to, or in accordance with the (usually high) standards of a profession.
  2. Expert.

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/ʒ/ — zh/l/ — l

Read next: The English R: Why It’s Hard and How to Fix It

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce "professional"?▾

To pronounce "professional", say prof-ESS-ion-al — 4 syllables, IPA /pɹəˈfɛʃənəɫ/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

How many syllables are in "professional"?▾

"Professional" has 4 syllables: prof · ess · ion · al.

What is the IPA transcription of "professional"?▾

The IPA transcription of "professional" is /pɹəˈfɛʃənəɫ/.

What does "professional" mean?▾

Professional: A person who belongs to a profession.

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

Open “professional” in the full dictionary →