English pronunciation · Words Starting with P
Primary Pronunciation
Primary is pronounced PRY-me-ree, IPA /ˈpraɪˌmɛri/.
PRY-me-ree
US /ˈpraɪˌmɛri/ · UK /ˈpraɪməri/
Syllables: PRY · me · ree (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective and noun: First in importance or order, or an early election that picks a party's candidate.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
Primary in a Sentence
- Our primary concern is keeping the service running.
- She teaches at a primary school in Leeds.
- He lost the primary by fewer than a thousand votes.
Common Mispronunciations of Primary
Not PRI-muh-ree
Prime hands its long eye sound down to this word, so the opening is PRY and never a short i.
Not pry-MA-ree
Nothing behind the opening is pushed, which is what separates primary from the verb prepare in rhythm.
Tip: Americans give the middle beat a full e, PRY-me-ree, while British speakers reduce it to PRY-muh-ree.
More words starting with p · Every word in the pronunciation guide