How to pronounce "legalise" in English
ˈliːɡəlaɪz
LEE·gə·lyz
Primary stress: LEE
Hear native speakers say legalise in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “legalise”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
LEE
Gliding diphthong with sustained vocal resonance.
gə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
lyz
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("LEE"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "legalise" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“to legalise same-sex marriage, in 2019.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “legalise”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
to legalise same-sex marriage, in 2019.
Hear it in context: “legalise”
1 clipThe English word “legalise” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈliːɡəlaɪz (phonetic respelling: LEE-gə-lyz). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (LEE · gə · lyz), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (LEE). Grammatically, “legalise” functions as a verb. SayItVid indexes 1 authentic English video clip demonstrating how native speakers articulate “legalise” in natural connected speech across American (US: 1 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (1 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USClip #1 · @10:48
“And its society has opened up in striking ways — even become the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, in 2019. You would think that for other liberal democracies like here in the West, Taiwan would be a natural”
Definition & Meaning: “legalise”
- Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of legalize.
Example Sentences (2)
- “At a time when multipartyism had already been legalised, the people were instructed by the police to unhoist their flag at Shumba Mjini and other places.”
- “to legalise same-sex marriage, in 2019.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “legalise”
- Pronunciation:
- LEE-gə-lyz
- Syllables:
- LEE · gə · lyz
- Written Hyphenation:
- le · ga · lise
- Primary stress:
- LEE
- IPA:
- ˈliːɡəlaɪz
- Hear it in context
- legalise
Words that Rhyme with “legalise”
-igəlaɪzWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"legalise" (⁄ˈliːɡəlaɪz⁄) 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, "legalise" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about legalise
How do you pronounce “legalise”?
“legalise” is pronounced ⁄ˈliːɡəlaɪz⁄ (LEE-gə-lyz). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “legalise”?
“legalise” has 3 syllables: LEE · gə · lyz.
Where is the stress in “legalise”?
The primary stress in “legalise” is on “LEE”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “legalise” mean?
Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of legalize.
How can I hear “legalise” used in real sentences?
This page has 1 real-world video example of “legalise” 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 “legalise”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).