How do you pronounce "purgatory"?

In American English: /ˈpɝːgəˌtɔri/ (PURG-uh-tawr-ee). In British English: /pˈɜːɡətəɹi/ (P-ɜg-uht-uhr). In Canadian English: /ˈpɝːgəˌtɔri/ (PURG-uh-tawr-ee). In Australian English: /pˈɜːɡətəɹi/ (P-ɜg-uht-uhr).

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

Yes. In American English it's pronounced /ˈpɝːgəˌtɔri/ (PURG-uh-tawr-ee), while in British English it's /pˈɜːɡətəɹi/ (P-ɜg-uht-uhr).

How to Pronounce "purgatory"

🗣️pronounce.how

purgatory

regional

/ˈpɝːgəˌtɔri/

PURG-uh-tawr-ee

Syllable Breakdown

pɝːgpur·əga·tɔrto·iry

Source

80%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