How to Pronounce Schedule
How do you say schedule?
US SKEJ-ool
UK SHED-yool
- IPA (US)
- /ˈskɛdʒuːl/
- IPA (UK)
- /ˈʃɛdjuːl/
skej·ool
2 syllables, stress on the first.
Is it SHED-yool or SKEJ-ool?
- ✓ Also accepted SHED-yool: Not a mistake: it is the traditional British pronunciation. SKEJ-ool is standard in American English and is increasingly heard in Britain too. Neither is wrong.
- ✓ Also accepted SKED-yool: A careful version of SKEJ-ool that keeps the D and Y separate. Common in Britain and Australia among speakers who use the 'sk' sound.
Schedule pronunciation in British vs American English
American English: SKEJ-ool, starting with the 'sk' of 'school'. The D and Y blend into a J sound.
British English: SHED-yool (traditional) or SHEJ-ool. SKEJ-ool is now widely heard, especially among younger speakers.
Australian English: Both are used: SHED-yool is traditional, while SKED-yool and SKEJ-ool are increasingly common.
Indian English: Usually SHED-yool, following British usage.
What does schedule mean?
A plan that lists when things will happen. As a verb, to arrange for something to happen at a particular time.
Where does schedule come from?
Middle English sedule, from Old French cedule, from Late Latin schedula, 'small sheet of paper', a diminutive of Greek skhedē, 'papyrus leaf'. The 'ch' was later added to the spelling to match the Latin. British English settled on the French-influenced 'sh' sound, while American English adopted the 'sk' used in other Greek-derived words such as 'school' and 'scheme', a choice backed by Noah Webster's dictionaries.
Schedule in a sentence
- The train is running behind schedule.
- Can we schedule the meeting for Thursday?
- Her schedule is packed until the end of the month.