How many syllables are in “rural”?

“Rural” has 2 syllables: ROOR-uhl.

What is the IPA for “rural”?

The American English IPA transcription of “rural” is ˈrʊrəl.

How can I practice pronouncing “rural”?

Press play to hear “rural” 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 rural

/ˈrʊrəl/ROOR-uhl2 syllables

“rural” turns on the American R — the sound that most shapes a neutral accent. It's 2 syllables (ROOR-uhl), 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 rural, then record yourself and our AI model will score your pronunciation, sound by sound.

The sounds to nail

/ɹ/as in red
American /r/: bunch the tongue back and slightly up. Lips rounded. Don't tap the roof.
/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.

Trickier for some first languages

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

Russian speakers →French speakers →Indian English speakers →Chinese speakers →

Common questions

How many syllables are in “rural”?: “Rural” has 2 syllables: ROOR-uhl.
What is the IPA for “rural”?: The American English IPA transcription of “rural” is ˈrʊrəl.
How can I practice pronouncing “rural”?: Press play to hear “rural” 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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