Pronunciation guide

How to pronounce premature

pree-muh-TOOR (US) or prem-uh-TYOOR (UK); 'PREE-muh-choor' is also common

US/ˌpɹi.məˈtʊɹ/

pɹimətʊɹ

UK/ˌpɹɛ.məˈtjʊə/

pɹɛmətjʊə

New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.

What “premature” means

Occurring before a state of readiness or maturity has arrived.

Taking place earlier than anticipated, prepared for, or desired.

In a sentence

  • A premature birth requires specialized neonatal care.
  • The report was considered premature and was later corrected.

Say it out loud a few times, then check yourself.

Look up another wordTry a pronunciation quiz

Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.