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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

popular

/ˈpɑpjəlɚ/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:47
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Start with a strong “pop.”

Keep the y sound after the second p. Follow it with a light vowel and an unstressed r-colored ending.

3 syllables · Stress on syllable 1

TRY SAYING
The park is popular with local families.

APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

What does popular mean?

adjective

  1. Common among the general public; generally accepted.
  2. Concerning the people; public.
  3. Pertaining to or deriving from the people or general public.
More meanings (9)

adjective

  1. Aimed at ordinary people, as opposed to specialists etc.; intended for general consumption.
  2. Liked by many people; generally pleasing, widely admired.
  3. Adapted to the means of the common people; cheap.
  4. (obsolete) Of low birth, not noble; vulgar, plebian.
  5. (obsolete) Cultivating the favour of the common people.

noun

  1. A person who is popular, especially at a school.
  2. An inexpensive newspaper with wide circulation.
  3. A member of the Populares
  4. A member of any political party with "Popular" in the title, such as the Partido Popular in Spain or Popolari di Italia Domani in Italy

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈpɑpjəlɚ/

Pronunciation used in the listening tip.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

A band of string music, stationed in an alcove behind a row of palms, played popular airs while the guests were gathering.
VariousThe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 1995, Memorial IssueProject Gutenberg ebook #206
The speaker found no truth in one of the popular reports, namely, that this strange man lived in great luxury and splendor.
Robert Browning; Hiram CorsonAn Introduction to the Study of Robert Browning's PoetryProject Gutenberg ebook #260
More book examples (3)
They still encouraged the popular belief of Divine interference in all the disputes or differences that might arise among nations or individuals.
Charles MackayMemoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions — Volume 1Project Gutenberg ebook #636
Geology has disproved the old popular belief that the universe was brought into being as it now exists by a single fiat.
Charles KingsleyGlaucus; Or, The Wonders of the ShoreProject Gutenberg ebook #695
He was a showy, graceful man, with many popular qualities, and had found much favour in the open hearts of the English.
Charles DickensA Child's History of EnglandProject Gutenberg ebook #699