2 syllables: ful, fil. Stress on fil.
fuul-FIL
/fʊˈlfɪl/
fulfil is pronounced fuul-FIL (/fʊˈlfɪl/). It has two syllables (ful-fil), with the stress on "fil". Fulfil means to achieve or realize a desired outcome or promise, or to satisfy a need, duty, or expectation. It connotes completing a task or reaching a hoped-for standard, often with a sense of obligation or completeness. In everyday use, it describes fulfilling goals, obligations, or roles, and can carry emotional weight when expectations are met.
Fulfil means to achieve or realize a desired outcome or promise, or to satisfy a need, duty, or expectation. It connotes completing a task or reaching a hoped-for standard, often with a sense of obligation or completeness. In everyday use, it describes fulfilling goals, obligations, or roles, and can carry emotional weight when expectations are met.
- You’ll often flatten the two-syllable structure into a quick 'ful-fill' with weak second syllable. Consciously pace the second syllable so that the primary stress lands on -fill, not the first syllable. Practice slow, then speed up while keeping the rhythm steady. - The first vowel /ʊ/ can shift toward /ʌ/ or /ɜ/ in quick speech; keep your tongue high, back, lips rounded but not protruded. Try exaggerating the /ʊ/ in isolation before pairing with /l/. - The /l/ sounds can blur into a vowel or disappear; ensure a clear alveolar contact, then release into /fɪl/. Use minimal pair drills like fʊl vs fɪl to hear the difference. - Avoid over-enunciating the inner consonants; keep a smooth but audible /l/ on both syllables. - In connected speech, you may link into the word following with slight vowel reduction; practice maintaining the two-syllable integrity even when adjacent sounds are rapid.
"She worked hard to fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor."
"The charity hoped to fulfil its promise to aid the homeless."
"He felt fulfilled after finishing the marathon and helping others along the way."
Pronounced as two syllables: /fʊlˈfɪl/. The first syllable has a short, rounded back vowel [ʊ] as in 'put', followed by an /l/; the second syllable carries the primary stress with /fɪl/ sounding like 'fill'. Ensure a clear interdental start to the /f/ and a crisp, alveolar /l/ release in both syllables. In UK/Commonwealth English, keep the second /l/ light but present; in US contexts the same two-syllable rhythm applies. IPA: US/UK/AU: fʊlˈfɪl.
Common errors: (1) Merging into a single syllable like ful-fill with weak second stress; keep two clear syllables and place primary stress on the second syllable: fʊlˈfɪl. (2) Replacing /ʊ/ with a broader; use a short /ʊ/ as in 'foot' rather than a lax /ə/ in the first vowel. (3) Overemphasizing the /l/ or confusing the second /l/ with a silent l; maintain two distinct /l/ sounds and a light trailing /l/. Corrections: practice stopping after the first /l/ briefly, then release into /fɪl/ with a crisp /f/ onset and a clear /l/ at the end.
Across accents, the core phonemes don’t change drastically: the first vowel remains /ʊ/ (as in 'put'), second syllable has /ɪ/ (as in 'kit'). Difference lies in rhoticity and vowel quality: US tends to rhoticly link the /r/ sound in surrounding syllables only if present in nearby words; UK and AU are more non-rhotic, but in connected speech the /r/ is often not pronounced unless followed by a vowel. The duration of the /ɪ/ can shift slightly; in some US varieties, the /ɪ/ can be a bit tenser in careful speech. Overall, fʊlˈfɪl holds steady across dialects, with minor vowel length and r-coloring variations.
The difficulty rests in two aspects: the two-stress pattern on the second syllable makes you pivot quickly from /l/ to /fɪl/, and the short /ʊ/ vowel in the first syllable sits close to /u/ in some accents, which can make the transition feel abrupt. Also, maintaining two clear /l/ sounds in sequence is tricky, as the first /l/ occurs after a rounded vowel; keep your tongue close to the palate for the /l/ release and avoid merging the /l/ with a following vowel. Mind your breath flow between syllables to keep rhythm steady.
Unique focus: the subtlety of final /l/ in British vs American spellings. In many British contexts, the final /l/ in fulfil tends to be a lightly touched 'dark l' with less vocalic coloring, whereas in American practice the second syllable /ɪl/ can feel a touch lighter or more clipped depending on tempo. Pay attention to the tooth-tip contact for the /f/ onset and ensure the final /l/ is not a vowel-like offglide. IPA reminder: fʊlˈfɪl.
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- US: rhotic emphasis only when preceding vowels; keep /r/ off unless anchoring a following vowel. The /u/ in /ʊ/ tends to be slightly lax; aim for a compact, rounded /ʊ/ as in 'book'. IPA: fʊlˈfɪl. - UK: often non-rhotic; keep two clear /l/ segments; maintain bright quality on the second syllable with a crisp /ɪl/. IPA: fʊlˈfɪl. - AU: similar to UK but with subtle vowel shifts due to Australian vowels; maintain the same two-syllable rhythm and two clear /l/ sounds; IPA: fʊlˈfɪl. - General tip: practice with a mirror to watch lip rounding for /ʊ/ and contact for /l/; use minimal pairs fʊl vs fɪl to lock in the difference. Reference IPA: US fʊlˈfɪl; UK fʊlˈfɪl; AU fʊlˈfɪl.
Fulfil originates from the Old French fel, based on felon, though the modern form is shaped by Middle English influences. The root idea centers on filling or satisfying a condition or obligation, evolving from a general sense of making something complete to the more specific sense of meeting duties, promises, or goals. The word traveled through English usage with the suffix -fil or -fill, which is reinforced by similar forms in other Germanic languages. Early uses appear in legal and religious contexts where completing a duty or promise was paramount, later expanding to secular contexts like goals and responsibilities. Adoption of the British spelling fulfil reflects the historic preference in UK English to retain the -l- double when stressed syllables follow, contrasting with American English where fulfill is common. First known attestation can be traced to medieval manuscript glosses, with broader standardization by the 16th century as print dictionaries codified spellings. The semantic emphasis on completion and satisfaction has persisted, making fulfil a stable term across formal and informal registers in both UK and Commonwealth English, while American English aligns on a simplified spelling without the extra l in many words.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "fulfil" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "fulfil" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "fulfil"
-ull sounds
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