How To Pronounce Rational

In British English, rational is pronounced /ˈræʃ.ən.əl/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈræʃ.ə̃n.əɫ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈræʃ.ən.əl/.

Rational has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first syllable. British and American speakers say it the same way.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.