English pronunciation · Words Starting with S
Sterile Pronunciation
Sterile is pronounced STE-ruhl, IPA /ˈstɛrəl/.
STE-ruhl
US /ˈstɛrəl/ · UK /ˈstɛraɪl/
Syllables: STE · ruhl (2 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective: Free of bacteria, or unable to produce offspring or crops.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
Sterile in a Sentence
- Use a sterile needle each time.
- The soil there is thin and sterile.
- His office was clean to the point of being sterile.
Common Mispronunciations of Sterile
Not STEE-ryl
The first vowel is the short e of stem. A long ee reading of the spelling is understandable but wrong in both main accents.
Not stuh-RYL
The weight goes on the opening syllable. Moving it back makes the word sound like the verb form sterilise cut short.
Tip: The endings split by country: Americans say STE-ruhl, the British STE-ryl with the eye vowel. Fertile and missile divide the same way.
More words starting with s · Every word in the pronunciation guide