Pronunciation guide

How to pronounce secretary

SEK-ruh-ter-ee (US, four syllables) or SEK-ruh-tree (UK, three)

US/ˈsɛkɹəˌtɛɹi/

sɛkɹətɛɹi

UK/ˈsɛkɹətɹi/

sɛkɹətɹi

New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.

Common mistake

Keep the first 'r' - 'SEK-ruh-...', not 'SEK-uh-ter-ee'.

What “secretary” means

A person who keeps records, takes notes and handles general clerical work.

The head of a department of government.

In a sentence

  • I have a personal secretary to help me organize my clients.
  • The secretary at the school is in charge of communication between parents, students, and staff.

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

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