3 syllables: Cel, er, y. Stress on Cel.
SEL-ur-ee
/ˈsɛlɚi/
Celery is pronounced SEL-ur-ee (/ˈsɛlɚi/). It has three syllables (Cel-er-y), with the stress on "Cel". Celery is a crunchy, pale-green vegetable stalk with a mild, slightly peppery flavor. It is commonly used in salads, stocks, and as a snack, valued for its crisp texture and refreshing aroma. As a noun, it also denotes the plant that yields these stalks, often grown in cool weather and harvested for its fibrous, water-rich stems.
nounCelery is a crunchy, pale-green vegetable stalk with a mild, slightly peppery flavor. It is commonly used in salads, stocks, and as a snack, valued for its crisp texture and refreshing aroma. As a noun, it also denotes the plant that yields these stalks, often grown in cool weather and harvested for its fibrous, water-rich stems.
"I chopped celery and carrots for the vegetable stock."
"She reached for a celery stick with hummus as a snack."
"The chef added diced celery to the soffritto for extra aroma."
Celery is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈsɛ.lɚ.i/ in US English or /ˈsel.ə.ɹi/ in careful UK pronunciation. The first vowel is a lax short ‘e’ as in ‘set,’ followed by a light ‘l’ and a final unstressed ‘ee’-like syllable. In many accents, the final -ery becomes /-əri/ or /-ri/; the key is a crisp initial syllable and a quick, non-emphatic second syllable. Listening to a native speaker will help tune the subtle vowel color of the middle vowel.
Common errors include pronouncing the second syllable too strongly as ‘-airy’ with a long ‘a’ sound, and overemphasizing the final /iː/ sound. Some speakers insert an extra syllable, saying ‘cel-eh-ree’ or ‘cel-lair-ee.’ To correct, keep the middle vowel as a short schwa or a light /ə/ and end with a quick, clipped /ri/ or /əri/. Maintain a clean /ˈsɛl.ə.ɹi/ pattern, avoiding a dull or drawn-out ending.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈsɛl.ɚ.i/ with a rhotic /ɹ/ before the final vowel and a reduced middle vowel. UK English tends toward /ˈsel.ə.ri/ with a non-rhotic /ɹ/ realization, often more enunciated middle /ə/ and a crisp final /i/ or /iː/. Australian English typically aligns with US/UK patterns, often with a late vowel reduction in rapid speech and a softer /ɹ/ in non-rhotic contexts. Focus on the initial /sɛ/ and a lighter, quicker final /ri/.
The difficulty comes from balancing a short, lax initial vowel with a light, rolling or flapped /l/ and a fast, unstressed final syllable. Non-native speakers often lengthen the middle vowel or exaggerate the final /i/. Achieve accuracy by rehearsing /ˈsɛl/ in a clipped fashion, then glide into a light /ɹi/ or /əri/, keeping the middle vowel neutral. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘cellary’ versus ‘celery’ to feel the correct rhythm.
No, Celery has an audible middle vowel with three pronounceable syllables: /ˈsɛ.lə.ɹi/ in many UK varieties or /ˈsɛl.ɚ.i/ in many US varieties. The word’s letters align with sound units, and the challenge is not silence but the quality and duration of the middle vowel and the rhoticity of the final consonant. Listening to native pronunciation will help you lock in the correct vowel shaping.
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Celery comes from Middle English celery, from Old French celeri, from Latin seleri, which itself derived from Greek selinon (σαλέριον), meaning ‘parsley’ or ‘wild celery.’ The Greek term appears in the classical herbals, and the root sel- or seleri occurs in various Indo-European languages as a generic term for celery-like plants. By the late medieval period, English speakers used celery to distinguish the cultivated garden stalk from other herbs. The botanical naming of Apium graveolens, the species, cemented the modern reference. Over centuries, culinary usage narrowed to the stalks and leaves consumed raw or cooked, while the term’s pronunciation stabilized in English with the first recorded modern spellings aligning to the modern form celery. The first known use in English appears in late 14th to early 15th century texts, with the sense of the vegetable stalk appearing in recipe collections by the 16th century. The semantic extension to “celery stick” and “celery salt” developed in the 18th and 19th centuries as culinary practices expanded and preserved celery derivatives gained popularity.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Celery" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Celery" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Celery"
-me) sounds
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