English pronunciation · Words Starting with B
Brutal Pronunciation
Brutal is pronounced BROO-tuhl, IPA /ˈbrutəl/.
BROO-tuhl
US /ˈbrutəl/ · UK /ˈbruːtəl/
Syllables: BROO · tuhl (2 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective: Savagely violent, or so direct that it hurts to hear.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
Brutal in a Sentence
- The winter that year was brutal, with snow on the ground until April.
- He gave me a brutal but useful assessment of my first draft.
- Police described the attack as brutal and unprovoked.
Common Mispronunciations of Brutal
Not BRUH-tuhl
Round the lips for an oo here, the vowel of food. A single u between consonants often gives the uh of but, but this one takes the long version.
Not broo-TAL
Pull the weight back to the opening beat. The -al ending has no colour of its own and settles into a weak tuhl.
Tip: American speakers tap the t until it sounds close to a d, BROO-duhl. British speakers keep it a clean t.
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