How do you pronounce "private"?

In American English: /ˈpraɪvət/ (PREYEV-uht). In British English: /pɹˈaɪvɪt/ (PR-eyev). In Canadian English: /ˈpraɪvət/ (PREYEV-uht). In Australian English: /pɹˈaɪvət/ (PR-eyev).

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

Yes. In American English it's pronounced /ˈpraɪvət/ (PREYEV-uht), while in British English it's /pɹˈaɪvɪt/ (PR-eyev).

How to Pronounce "private"

🗣️pronounce.how

private

regional

/ˈpraɪvət/

PREYEV-uht

Syllable Breakdown

praɪvpri·ətvate

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