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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “abstract”

“abstract” is pronounced /æbˈstɹækt/ (ab-STRAKT) in American English and /abstɹakt/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “tract”.
The sound

Say “abstract” in 2 beats

Say it like this

abstract

/æbˈstɹækt/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /abstɹakt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. absæb
  2. tractstɹæktstress
IPA (American)
/æbˈstɹækt/
IPA (British)
/abstɹakt/
Respelling
ab-STRAKT
Syllables
2 — abs-TRACT
Stress
Stress the second syllable: abs-TRACT. “tract” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb, adjective
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/æbˈstɹækt/

British

/abstɹakt/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “abstract” means

  1. noun

    a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance

    “he loved her only in the abstract--not in person”

  2. noun

    a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory

  3. verb

    consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically

Say it in a sentence

“The abstract should be readable on its own.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
æshort a×2bbsstt×2ɹrkk

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“abstract”, answered

How do you pronounce “abstract”?

“abstract” is pronounced /æbˈstɹækt/ (ab-STRAKT) in American English and /abstɹakt/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “tract”. Build it as abs-TRACT, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “abstract” have?

2: abs · tract. The beat lands on the second, “tract”.

Is “abstract” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /æbˈstɹækt/ (ab-STRAKT); British English says /abstɹakt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “abstract” mean?

As a noun: a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance For example: “he loved her only in the abstract--not in person” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “abstract”?

Stress the second syllable: abs-TRACT. “tract” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

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