English pronunciation · Words Starting with C
Cerebral Pronunciation
Cerebral is pronounced SE-ruh-bruhl, IPA /ˈsɛrəbrəl/.
SE-ruh-bruhl
US /ˈsɛrəbrəl/ · UK /səˈriːbrəl/
Syllables: SE · ruh · bruhl (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective: Relating to the brain, or describing a person or work that appeals to the intellect rather than the emotions.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
Two Ways to Say Cerebral
The pronunciation changes with the meaning or the part of speech. The form above is the most common; the others are:
- older reading, stress on the middle syllable (ser-EE-bruhl): /sɝˈibrəl/ (ser-EE-bruhl)
Cerebral in a Sentence
- The scan showed reduced cerebral blood flow.
- It is a cerebral film that rewards a second viewing.
- Cerebral palsy affects movement and posture from early childhood.
Common Mispronunciations of Cerebral
Not suh-REE-brahl
Whichever syllable you stress, the last one stays a weak bruhl. A full ahl at the end sounds like a spelling read aloud.
Not ke-RE-bruhl
Read the opening c as s. Cerebral, cerebellum, and cerebrum all begin with that soft sound.
Tip: Both readings are current. Most American speakers say SE-ruh-bruhl, while ser-EE-bruhl is the older form and still common in Britain and in medical speech.
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