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