How do you pronounce "ability"?

In American English: /əˈbɪləˌtiː/ (uh-BIL-uh-tee). In British English: /əbˈɪlɪti/ (uhb-IL-it-ee). In Canadian English: /əˈbɪləˌtiː/ (uh-BIL-uh-tee). In Australian English: /ɐbˈɪləti/ (ⱯB-il-uht).

Is "ability" pronounced differently in American and British English?

Yes. In American English it's pronounced /əˈbɪləˌtiː/ (uh-BIL-uh-tee), while in British English it's /əbˈɪlɪti/ (uhb-IL-it-ee).

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ability

regional

/əˈbɪləˌtiː/

uh-BIL-uh-tee

Syllable Breakdown

əab·bɪlil·əi·tiːty

Source

90%confidence📘 CMU Pronouncing Dictionary v0.7b

All Variants

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Last updated: 2026-02-12