English pronunciation · Words Starting with P
Polite Pronunciation
Polite is pronounced puh-LYT, IPA /pəˈlaɪt/.
puh-LYT
US /pəˈlaɪt/ · UK /pəˈlaɪt/
Syllables: puh · LYT (2 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
adjective: Behaving with good manners and respect towards other people.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
Polite in a Sentence
- It is polite to let people off the train first.
- He gave a polite answer and changed the subject.
- She wrote a polite note declining the invitation.
Common Mispronunciations of Polite
Not POH-lyt
That opening beat holds no round o. It shrinks to a quick puh and every bit of the force waits for LYT.
Not puh-LEET
An eye sound belongs in the second beat, as in kite. An ee there produces nothing English uses.
Tip: Politics and political look like relatives and are not: both open on a full PAH, where polite opens on a murmur.
More words starting with p · Every word in the pronunciation guide