English pronunciation · Words Starting with L

Laboratory Pronunciation

Laboratory is pronounced LA-bruh-taw-ree, IPA /ˈlæbrəˌtɔri/.

LA-bruh-taw-ree

US /ˈlæbrəˌtɔri/  ·  UK /ləˈbɒrəˌtri/

Syllables: LA · bruh · taw · ree (4 syllables, stress on syllable 1)

noun: A room or building fitted out for scientific work.

Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.

Laboratory in a Sentence

  • Samples go to the laboratory on Tuesdays.
  • She runs a laboratory of nine researchers.
  • The whole laboratory smelled faintly of vinegar.

Common Mispronunciations of Laboratory

Not luh-BOR-uh-TOR-ee

Only one part of the word can be loud. Giving both bor and tor a beat produces a singsong rhythm no native version has.

Not LA-buh-ruh-taw-ree

In the American form the o after b disappears completely, leaving LA-bruh. Sounding it out adds a syllable that is not there.

Tip: The two sides of the Atlantic put the beat in different places: Americans say LA-bruh-taw-ree, the British luh-BO-ruh-tree.

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