How many syllables are in “island”?

“Island” has 2 syllables: EYE-luhnd.

What is the IPA for “island”?

The American English IPA transcription of “island” is ˈaɪlənd.

How can I practice pronouncing “island”?

Press play to hear “island” spoken by our AI model, then record yourself on this page to get an instant pronunciation score — your first try needs no account.

American English pronunciation

How to pronounce island

/ˈaɪlənd/EYE-luhnd2 syllables

“island” is one of those English words that looks nothing like it sounds. It's 2 syllables (EYE-luhnd), and the trick is in the sounds below — hear it, then say it back and let our AI model show you how close you landed.

Say it & get scored

Hear island, then record yourself and our AI model will score your pronunciation, sound by sound.

The sounds to nail

/l/as in love
Tongue tip at gum ridge. At the end of a syllable ('feel'), the tongue body also pulls back — the dark L.
/ʌ/as in cup
Relaxed central vowel (sometimes a schwa /ə/ when unstressed). Don't pronounce the full vowel in unstressed syllables.

Trickier for some first languages

The sounds in “island” are common stumbling blocks for speakers of:

Russian speakers →French speakers →Chinese speakers →

Common questions

How many syllables are in “island”?: “Island” has 2 syllables: EYE-luhnd.
What is the IPA for “island”?: The American English IPA transcription of “island” is ˈaɪlənd.
How can I practice pronouncing “island”?: Press play to hear “island” spoken by our AI model, then record yourself on this page to get an instant pronunciation score — your first try needs no account.

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