Pronunciation Guide • English
How to Pronounce nuclear
Difficulty: medium
IPA Transcription
/ˈnjuːkliər/
Why is it so hard to pronounce?
NYOO-klee-er. Three syllables. Famous for being commonly mispronounced as "NYOO-kyoo-ler" (nucular) — a metathesis (switching) of the final syllables. This mispronunciation was notably used by President George W. Bush.
💡 Pro Tip for nuclear
NYOO-klee-er. Remember: noo-CLEE-ar. The "cl" comes together as one consonant cluster.
Listen to the Native Audio
To hear the exact pronunciation of nuclear by a native speaker, use the Pronouncer engine below.
Hear 'nuclear' Audio Now →Word Origins
The term nuclear originates from Latin "nucleus". Understanding its etymology helps explain why it breaks standard pronunciation rules.