How to pronounce "pre" in English
priː
PREE
Primary stress: PREE
Hear native speakers say pre in context across real video clips
to be a word that meant people. Pre World War II, computers referred to people who did mathematical, arithmetic computations, and those people were most often women. to people who did mathematical, arithmetic computations,
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “pre”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
PREE
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
As a single-syllable word, "pre" receives full primary stress when spoken in isolation, though it may take a reduced weak form in connected speech when acting as a function word.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Single-syllable words like "pre" carry primary acoustic prominence in isolation, but can be swallowed in rapid connected speech.
How Native Speakers Say It: Sustain vowel clarity without rushing into the trailing consonant. Elevate pitch slightly when "pre" carries the primary contrast or new information in a sentence.
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.
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "pre" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“Pre World War II, computers referred to people who did mathematical, arithmetic computations, and those people were most often women.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“pre-internet-- Gaelic games-- major effort to get them onto television screens that could be shown in pubs so that people”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“pre-show and they showed pictures of us the thing is okay so like obviously there they raised money for”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“pre vortex. It was the biggest show in the world at one point. Um, it was this massive”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“pre-existing not condition but relationship um you know people like that are willing to come on SO Samantha”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“pre-industrial societies, which dwarfs the increase in wealth.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “pre”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
Pre World War II, computers referred to people who did mathematical, arithmetic computations, and those people were most often women.
Hear it in context: “pre”
16,163 clipsThe English word “pre” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as priː (phonetic respelling: PREE). Phonologically, it consists of 1 syllable (PREE), pronounced as a single stressed monosyllable. Grammatically, “pre” functions as a preposition, 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 16,163 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “pre” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USClip #1 · @49:17
“to be a word that meant people. Pre World War II, computers referred to people who did mathematical, arithmetic computations, and those people were most often women. to people who did mathematical, arithmetic computations,”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @9:53
“and this, now, is going back in the '80s, it's very much pre-internet-- Gaelic games-- major effort to get them onto television screens that could be shown in pubs so that people Gaelic games-- major effort to get them onto television”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @23:59
“well yes and no because there was a pre-show and they showed pictures of us the thing is okay so like obviously there they raised money for and they showed pictures of us the thing”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @25:11
“remember pre vortex. It was the biggest show in the world at one point. Um, it was this massive >> It was the biggest show in the world at”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @22:11
“call her email her and um because of a pre-existing not condition but relationship um you know people like that are willing to come on SO Samantha relationship um you know people like”
Definition & Meaning: “pre”
- Before (something significant).
- Clipping of predrinks.
- Clipping of precum.
- Clipping of pre-drink.
- Clipping of precum.
Example Sentences (3)
- “In the posting, Matthews said he wished that, “more blacks [sic] people would look into ancient beliefs of pre Christian Africa.””
- “This one's for a short and sweet pres before heading to the club. If you're aiming to get absolutely SMASHED in a short amount of time, this is the game for you!”
- “Pre World War II, computers referred to people who did mathematical, arithmetic computations, and those people were most often women.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “pre”
- Pronunciation:
- PREE
- Syllables:
- PREE
- Written Hyphenation:
- pre
- Primary stress:
- PREE
- IPA:
- priː
- Hear it in context
- pre
Words that Rhyme with “pre”
-iWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"pre" (⁄priː⁄) 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, "pre" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about pre
How do you pronounce “pre”?
“pre” is pronounced ⁄priː⁄ (PREE). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
Where is the stress in “pre”?
The primary stress in “pre” is on “PREE”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “pre” mean?
Before (something significant).
How can I hear “pre” used in real sentences?
This page has 16163 real-world video examples of “pre” 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 “pre”?
Single-syllable words like "pre" carry primary acoustic prominence in isolation, but can be swallowed in rapid connected speech. Sustain vowel clarity without rushing into the trailing consonant. Elevate pitch slightly when "pre" carries the primary contrast or new information in a sentence.