Accent LabYour browser has no British voice installed, so playback may sound American. On iPhone and Mac, add one in Settings → Accessibility → Spoken Content → Voices → English (UK).
Why "laboratory" sounds different in British English
The British pronunciation is /ləˈbɒrətri/, with the main stress on BORR and the short, rounded /ɒ/ of "lot". The ending "-atory" is heavily reduced, usually to "uh-tree", so the word often has just four syllables. A five-syllable version with "-tuh-ree" is also heard.
American English uses /ˈlæbrəˌtɔːri/, with the stress on LAB and a secondary stress on "tor". The two forms are so different that they can sound like separate words. British English treats other "-ory" words the same way, shortening the ending of "secretary", "dormitory" and "territory" where American English gives it a full vowel. In both countries the short form "lab" is common.
How to say "laboratory" like a Brit, step by step
- Start with a weak luh.
- Stress BORR, with the short rounded o of "lot".
- Squash the rest into uh-tree, with no "tor".
- All together: luh-BORR-uh-tree.
Practise "laboratory" in a sentence
- The samples were sent to a laboratory for testing.
- She runs a research laboratory at the university.
- Lab coats must be worn in the laboratory at all times.
Saying it once correctly is easy. Saying it right in the middle of a fast sentence is the hard part, which is why the sentences above matter more than the single word.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce laboratory in a British accent?
In Received Pronunciation, laboratory is pronounced /ləˈbɒrətri/, roughly "luh-BORR-uh-tree". Stress the second syllable and shorten the end: "luh-BORR-uh-tree".
Is the American pronunciation of laboratory wrong?
No. /ˈlæbrəˌtɔːri/ is standard in American English. Both are correct, they simply belong to different accents. If you are learning a British accent, aim for /ləˈbɒrətri/.