How to Pronounce Volunteer

To pronounce "volunteer", say vol-unt-EER — 3 syllables, IPA /ˌvɑɫənˈtɪɹ/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

volunteer

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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3

Syllables

9

Letters

/ˌvɑɫənˈtɪɹ/

🇺🇸 IPA (US)

/vˌɒləntˈiə/

🇬🇧 IPA (UK)

💡 Tip for remembering “volunteer”

Break "volunteer" into 3 beats and lean on "EER" — that's the stressed one.

What does volunteer mean?

noun

  1. One who enters into, or offers for, any service of his/her own free will, especially when done without pay.
  2. One who enters into military service voluntarily, but who, when in service, is subject to discipline and regulations like other soldiers; -- opposed to conscript; specifically, a voluntary member of the organized militia of a country as distinguished from the standing army.

verb

  1. To enlist oneself as a volunteer.
  2. To do or offer to do something voluntarily.

    “to volunteer for doing the dishes”

Keep practicing

Related pages on PronounceIt, chosen from what we know about this word.

volunteer — American vs British — the two accents differ on this word.

Train the contrast: light vs right, walk vs work

Sounds worth drilling for a word spelled like this:

/r/ — r/ɜː/ — er/ɪə/ — ear

Read next: Long and Short Vowel Sounds in English

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce "volunteer"?▾

To pronounce "volunteer", say vol-unt-EER — 3 syllables, IPA /ˌvɑɫənˈtɪɹ/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

How many syllables are in "volunteer"?▾

"Volunteer" has 3 syllables: vol · unt · eer.

What is the IPA transcription of "volunteer"?▾

The IPA transcription of "volunteer" is /ˌvɑɫənˈtɪɹ/.

What does "volunteer" mean?▾

Volunteer: One who enters into, or offers for, any service of his/her own free will, especially when done without pay.

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