How do you pronounce "arbitrary"?

In American English: /ˈɑːrbəˌtrɛri/ (AHRB-uh-trehr-ee). In British English: /ˈɑːbɪtɹəɹi/ (AHB-itr-uhr-ee). In Canadian English: /ˈɑːrbəˌtrɛri/ (AHRB-uh-trehr-ee). In Australian English: /ˈɑːbɪtɹəɹi/ (AHB-itr-uhr-ee).

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

Yes. In American English it's pronounced /ˈɑːrbəˌtrɛri/ (AHRB-uh-trehr-ee), while in British English it's /ˈɑːbɪtɹəɹi/ (AHB-itr-uhr-ee).

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arbitrary

regional

/ˈɑːrbəˌtrɛri/

AHRB-uh-trehr-ee

Syllable Breakdown

ɑːrbar·əbi·trɛrtr·iary

Source

90%confidence📘 CMU Pronouncing Dictionary v0.7b

All Variants

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Last updated: 2026-02-12