How to pronounce "autopilots" in English
AU·to·pi·lots
Primary stress: au
Hear native speakers say autopilots in context across real video clips
be there are many years though when I was giving somebody else's dreams for me taking action on autopilots and I had no idea why I was so completely miserable I felt unfulfilled couldn't so completely miserable I felt unfulfilled couldn't
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “autopilots”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
AU
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
to
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
pi
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
lots
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("AU"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America.
How Native Speakers Say It: In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "autopilots" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "autopilots is" sounds like "autopilots-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "autopilots" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“taking action on autopilots and I had no idea why I was so completely miserable I felt unfulfilled couldn't”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“we do aerial Robotics and so we invent um you know autopilots and and”— WIREDWatch clip
“And also autopilots don't work that well if you're going really slowly.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Radio-controlled autopilots are installed in eight B-17 bombers.”— Smithsonian ChannelWatch clip
“Because one of the issues with some of the autopilots when they kick out is that the highly trained pilots have trouble figuring out how to move into the mode of flying.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“We still have pilots on those planes, even with our modern autopilots.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “autopilots”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
taking action on autopilots and I had no idea why I was so completely miserable I felt unfulfilled couldn't
Hear it in context: “autopilots”
19 clipsThe English word “autopilots”. Phonologically, it consists of 4 syllables (au · to · pi · lots), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (au). Grammatically, “autopilots” functions as a noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 19 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “autopilots” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks, WIRED, MIT OpenCourseWare.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @1:02
“be there are many years though when I was giving somebody else's dreams for me taking action on autopilots and I had no idea why I was so completely miserable I felt unfulfilled couldn't so completely miserable I felt unfulfilled couldn't”
- 🇺🇸 USWIREDClip #2 · @0:17
“right now if you invent something so let's say for example in my own company we do aerial Robotics and so we invent um you know autopilots and and electronics for robotics you know once upon a time you needed to be a Sony to”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #3 · @24:08
“clog up the works for the jet. And also autopilots don't work that well if you're going really slowly. if you're going really slowly.”
- 🇺🇸 USSmithsonian ChannelClip #4 · @0:15
“testing program, called Operation Crossroads. Radio-controlled autopilots are installed in eight B-17 bombers. in eight B-17 bombers.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @44:21
“is there likely a human factors part? Because one of the issues with some of the autopilots when they kick out is that the highly trained pilots have trouble figuring out how to move into the mode of flying. they kick out is that the highly trained pilots”
Definition & Meaning: “autopilots”
- A mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being.
- A state of mind where one no longer thinks about doing one's actions, but acts mechanically.
- To pilot itself; to drive or travel automatically.
Example Sentences (3)
- “I set the autopilot to due south, so I could get some rest.”
- “I've been doing this 12 hours non-stop, and am so hungry and tired that I've stopped thinking: I'm now on autopilot.”
- “taking action on autopilots and I had no idea why I was so completely miserable I felt unfulfilled couldn't”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “autopilots”
- Syllables:
- au · to · pi · lots
- Primary stress:
- au
- Hear it in context
- autopilots
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"autopilots" has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "autopilots" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about autopilots
How many syllables are in “autopilots”?
“autopilots” has 4 syllables: au · to · pi · lots.
Where is the stress in “autopilots”?
The primary stress in “autopilots” is on “AU”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “autopilots” mean?
A mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being.
How can I hear “autopilots” used in real sentences?
This page has 19 real-world video examples of “autopilots” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “autopilots”?
Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America. In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].