English pronunciation · Words Starting with S
Surveillance Pronunciation
Surveillance is pronounced ser-VAY-luhns, IPA /sɝˈveɪləns/.
ser-VAY-luhns
US /sɝˈveɪləns/ · UK /səˈveɪləns/
Syllables: ser · VAY · luhns (3 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
noun: Close watch kept on a person, a place, or a population.
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Surveillance in a Sentence
- The flat was under surveillance for six weeks.
- Public health surveillance picked up the outbreak early.
- Surveillance cameras cover both entrances.
Common Mispronunciations of Surveillance
Not ser-VAY-yuhns
The ill spelling here gives a plain l, not the y sound of tortilla. English borrowed the word from French but dropped that palatal quality.
Not SUR-vay-luhns
The middle part is the loud one. A beat on the front turns it into something like surface with a long tail.
Tip: Three parts and the weight in the middle: ser-VAY-luhns. The verb surveil follows the same rhythm minus the ending.
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