How Many Syllables in Beautiful?
Beautiful has 3 syllables: beau-ti-ful.
Learn how many syllables are in beautiful, how to divide the word correctly, and how to pronounce it in American and British English.
in Beautiful
How to Pronounce Beautiful
Tap play to learn how to pronounce beautiful in an American or British accent.
Voice playback isn’t supported in this browser. The IPA above (/ˈbjuː-tɪ-fʊl/) shows the exact pronunciation.
Why Beautiful Breaks This Way
Here’s how to divide it into syllables: beau-ti-ful. The eau in beau is a single vowel sound — it rhymes with the word “you” — so it doesn’t split into two separate sounds the way the spelling might suggest. From there, ti and ful each carry their own short vowel, giving the word its three clean syllables. Say it slowly and you’ll notice the main stress falls on the first: BEAU-ti-ful.
Beautiful (adjective): pleasing to the senses or mind, especially through grace, harmony, or attractive form — often used to describe someone or something gorgeous or pretty. Related word: beautifully (adverb).
Want the general method behind this, not just this one word? Read how to break any word into syllables for the full set of rules.
Common Mistake
A common mistake is counting it as 4 syllables because the eau looks like it should split into two vowel sounds. It doesn’t — eau is one sound, so it stays at the correct count of 3, not 4, in standard English.
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Synonyms of Beautiful
Plenty of close synonyms exist — here are a few, with their own syllable counts.
- gorgeous (2)
- stunning (2)
- lovely (2)
- attractive (3)
- elegant (3)
Words With a Similar Syllable Count
These words share a similar syllable count.
- gorgeous (2)
- graceful (2)
- elegant (3)
- attractive (3)
- stunning (2)
Words That Rhyme With Beautiful
Find out what rhymes with it below — true perfect rhymes are hard to find for this word.
- no true single-word rhyme — closest matches are other -tiful words like “dutiful” and “fruitful” (2 syllables)
Frequently Asked Questions
Beautiful has 3 syllables: beau-ti-ful.
Beautiful splits as beau-ti-ful, with the stress on the “beau” part.
Beautiful is typically used as an adjective.
Here’s how to divide it into syllables: beau-ti-ful. The eau in beau is a single vowel sound — it rhymes with the word “you” — so it doesn’t split into two separate sounds the way the spelling might suggest. From there, ti and ful each carry their own short vowel, giving the word its three clean syllables. Say it slowly and you’ll notice the main stress falls on the first: BEAU-ti-ful.
In short: beautiful has 3 syllables, not 4, correctly pronounced beau-ti-ful — with close synonyms like gorgeous and pretty listed above.
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