record (noun) vs record (verb): hear and say the difference
record (noun) and record (verb) are identical except for one sound: record (noun) has the the schwa, /ə/, and record (verb) has the short e, /e/. The two words are spelled identically: the noun stresses the first syllable and reduces the second to a schwa, the verb stresses the second and reduces the first.
The two words
The difference
What actually changes
The two words are spelled identically: the noun stresses the first syllable and reduces the second to a schwa, the verb stresses the second and reduces the first.Accent note
These are stress pairs rather than strict minimal pairs: the sound that changes is which syllable carries the beat, and the unstressed vowel collapses to a schwa as a result. They are the fastest way to hear what English stress actually does.record (noun) — /ə/
- Lips
- Completely relaxed.
- Tongue
- Resting in the middle of the mouth, doing nothing at all.
- Jaw
- Barely open.
record (verb) — /e/
- Lips
- Relaxed, slightly spread.
- Tongue
- Front at mid height — halfway between 'ship' and 'cat'.
- Jaw
- Open about a finger's width.
Each word in a sentence
record (noun)
She holds the world record.
record (verb)
We record every lesson.
Why this pair is hard
Spanish, Italian, Tamil, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic and Turkish give every vowel its full written value, so neither syllable reduces and the two words sound the same. Russian and Hindi reduce unstressed vowels already, so the schwa itself is familiar and only the English placement is new.
Straight answers
What is the difference between "record (noun)" and "record (verb)"?
One sound. record (noun) is /ˈrekɔːd/ and record (verb) is /rɪˈkɔːd/ — everything else in the two words is identical, so that single contrast carries the whole meaning. The two words are spelled identically: the noun stresses the first syllable and reduces the second to a schwa, the verb stresses the second and reduces the first.
Why do I say "record (noun)" and "record (verb)" the same way?
Spanish, Italian, Tamil, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic and Turkish give every vowel its full written value, so neither syllable reduces and the two words sound the same. Russian and Hindi reduce unstressed vowels already, so the schwa itself is familiar and only the English placement is new.
Should I train my ear or my mouth first?
Your ear. If you cannot reliably hear which word was said, your mouth has no target to aim at, and drilling produces a sound you cannot check. Run the listening test on this page until you are scoring four or five out of five, then record the pair.
Do all native speakers make this distinction?
These are stress pairs rather than strict minimal pairs: the sound that changes is which syllable carries the beat, and the unstressed vowel collapses to a schwa as a result. They are the fastest way to hear what English stress actually does.
Say "record (noun)" and "record (verb)" and see which one you said
One take covers both words: reference mode aligns each sound against its target, so the contrast comes back scored on both sides. Free, private, in your browser.