To pronounce "subtle", say SUBTL-e — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈsətəɫ/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.
subtle
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Accent
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2
Syllables
6
Letters
/ˈsətəɫ/
🇺🇸 IPA (US)
/sˈʌtəl/
🇬🇧 IPA (UK)
Break "subtle" into 2 beats and lean on "SUBTL" — that's the stressed one. It rhymes with scuttle and guttle, if that helps it stick.
Sounds exactly like: suttle — easy to mix up when writing.
adjective
“The difference is subtle, but you can hear it if you listen carefully.”
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.
"Subtle" has 2 syllables: subtl · e.
The IPA transcription of "subtle" is /ˈsətəɫ/.
Subtle: Hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable.
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