English pronunciation · Words Starting with T

Theater Pronunciation

Theater is pronounced THEE-uh-ter, IPA /ˈθiətɝ/.

THEE-uh-ter

US /ˈθiətɝ/  ·  UK /ˈθiətə/

Syllables: THEE · uh · ter (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)

noun: A building where plays or films are shown, or the art of stage performance.

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Theater in a Sentence

  • The theater on Main Street closed last winter.
  • She has worked in theater since she was nineteen.
  • We booked seats at the back of the theater.

Common Mispronunciations of Theater

Not thee-AY-ter

Front of the word takes the beat in both American and British English. Pushing it onto the middle syllable is a regional habit rather than the standard form.

Not TEE-uh-ter

The th at the start is the breathy one, made with the tongue against the top teeth. Swapping in a plain t gives teeter.

Tip: Theater and theatre are the same word with different spellings, American and British, and they are said the same way.

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