How to pronounce "city" in English
ˈsɪt̬.i
SIT̬·ee
Primary stress: SIT̬
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
No video clips indexed yet for “city”
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
🇺🇸 US vs 🇬🇧 UK vs 🇦🇺 AUS
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “city”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
SIT̬
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
ee
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("SIT̬"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: US says ⁄ˈsɪt̬.i⁄ (sounding like "siddy"); UK says ⁄ˈsɪt.i⁄ (crisp "t").
How Native Speakers Say It: Intervocalic /t/ flapping is standard in both General American and General Australian English. US: Flapped [ɾ]. UK: Aspirated [t].
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 "city" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "city is" sounds like "city-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "city" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Practice Speaking “city”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
São Paulo is the largest city in South America.
Hear it in context: “city”
The English word “city” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈsɪt̬.i (phonetic respelling: SIT̬-ee). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (SIT̬ · ee), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (SIT̬). Grammatically, “city” functions as a noun. Hear native speakers say city in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “city”
- A large settlement, bigger than a town; sometimes with a specific legal definition, depending on the place.
- A settlement granted special status by royal charter or letters patent; traditionally, a settlement with a cathedral regardless of size.
Example Sentences (2)
- “São Paulo is the largest city in South America.”
- “Manchester, incorporated in 1838, was made the centre of a bishopric in 1847 and became a city in 1853. Liverpool was transformed into a city by Royal Charter when the new diocese of Liverpool was created in 1880.”
Pronounce: “city”
- Pronunciation:
- SIT̬-ee
- Syllables:
- SIT̬ · ee
- Written Hyphenation:
- ci · ty
- Primary stress:
- SIT̬
- IPA:
- ˈsɪt̬.i
- Hear it in context
- city
Synonyms: “city”
Hear words related in meaning to “city” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “city”
-ɪtiWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"city" (⁄ˈsɪt̬.i⁄) 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, "city" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about city
How do you pronounce “city”?
“city” is pronounced ⁄ˈsɪt̬.i⁄ (SIT̬-ee). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “city”?
“city” has 2 syllables: SIT̬ · ee.
Where is the stress in “city”?
The primary stress in “city” is on “SIT̬”.
What does “city” mean?
A large settlement, bigger than a town; sometimes with a specific legal definition, depending on the place.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “city”?
US says ⁄ˈsɪt̬.i⁄ (sounding like "siddy"); UK says ⁄ˈsɪt.i⁄ (crisp "t"). Intervocalic /t/ flapping is standard in both General American and General Australian English. US: Flapped [ɾ]. UK: Aspirated [t].