How do you pronounce "polite"?

In American English: /pəˈlaɪt/ (puh-LEYET). In British English: /pəlˈaɪt/ (puhl-EYET). In Canadian English: /pəˈlʌɪt/ (puh-LUH-it). In Australian English: /pəlˈaɪt/ (puhl-EYET).

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

Yes. In American English it's pronounced /pəˈlaɪt/ (puh-LEYET), while in British English it's /pəlˈaɪt/ (puhl-EYET).

How to Pronounce "polite"

🗣️pronounce.how

polite

/pəˈlaɪt/

puh-LEYET

Syllable Breakdown

pəpo·laɪtlite

Source

90%confidence📘 CMU Pronouncing Dictionary v0.7b

All Variants

Browse by Letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Edit on GitHub Report an issue

Last updated: 2026-02-14