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Why "mobile" sounds different in British English
British English says /ˈməʊbaɪl/, stressed on the first syllable, with the RP /əʊ/ vowel of "go" and a full /aɪ/ in the ending. It is the everyday British word for a phone: "mobile phone", or just "my mobile". The same pronunciation is used for the adjective (a mobile library) and for a hanging mobile over a cot.
American English usually says /ˈmoʊbəl/, with a reduced "-buhl" ending, and tends to use "cell phone" for the device. Americans may say "MOH-beel" for some uses, and the city of Mobile, Alabama is stressed on the end. For British English, think "MOH-bile" for all of them. Note the RP vowel in the first syllable too: it starts in the centre of the mouth rather than with rounded lips.
How to say "mobile" like a Brit, step by step
- Start with the British oh vowel: begin with a relaxed "uh" and glide to "oo".
- Stress that first syllable: MOH.
- Say a full bile, rhyming with "while".
- In a phrase: MOH-bile phone, with "phone" lightly stressed.
Practise "mobile" in a sentence
- I'll ring you on your mobile when I get to the station.
- Please switch your mobile phones off during the performance.
- There's no mobile signal in the cottage.
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 mobile in a British accent?
In Received Pronunciation, mobile is pronounced /ˈməʊbaɪl/, roughly "MOH-bile". The ending rhymes with "while", so "mobile phone" is "MOH-bile phone".
Is the American pronunciation of mobile wrong?
No. /ˈmoʊbəl/ is standard in American English. Both are correct, they simply belong to different accents. If you are learning a British accent, aim for /ˈməʊbaɪl/.