How do you pronounce "alternative"?

In American English: /ɔlˈtɝːnətɪv/ (awl-TURN-uht-iv). In British English: /ɔːltˈɜːnətɪv/ (awlt-ꞫN-uht-iv). In Canadian English: /ɔlˈtɝːnətɪv/ (awl-TURN-uht-iv). In Australian English: /ɔːltˈɜːnətˌɪv/ (awlt-ꞫN-uht-iv).

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

Yes. In American English it's pronounced /ɔlˈtɝːnətɪv/ (awl-TURN-uht-iv), while in British English it's /ɔːltˈɜːnətɪv/ (awlt-ꞫN-uht-iv).

🗣️pronounce.how

alternative

regional

/ɔlˈtɝːnətɪv/

awl-TURN-uht-iv

Syllable Breakdown

ɔlal·tɝːnter·ətna·ɪvtive

Source

90%confidence📘 CMU Pronouncing Dictionary v0.7b

All Variants

Edit on GitHub 🐛 Report an issue

Last updated: 2026-02-12