English pronunciation · Words Starting with L
Lieutenant Pronunciation
Lieutenant is pronounced loo-TE-nuhnt, IPA /luˈtɛnənt/.
loo-TE-nuhnt
US /luˈtɛnənt/ · UK /lɛfˈtɛnənt/
Syllables: loo · TE · nuhnt (3 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
noun: An officer of middle rank in the armed forces or the police, or a deputy.
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Lieutenant in a Sentence
- The lieutenant signed the duty roster.
- She was promoted to lieutenant last year.
- His lieutenant handled the day to day work.
Common Mispronunciations of Lieutenant
Not LYOO-te-nuhnt
TE in the middle takes the volume, so the opening runs past quickly.
Not lee-oo-TE-nuhnt
The lieu block is one beat, not two, and it gives a plain loo in American English.
Tip: British and Commonwealth forces say lef-TE-nuhnt, with an f that the spelling never shows, and Americans say loo-TE-nuhnt.
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