Pronunciation

How to pronounce “classes

“classes” is pronounced /ˈklæsəz/ (KLA-suhz) in American English and /klasɪz/ in British English, and /ˈklæsɪz/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “clas”.
The sound

Say “classes” in 2 beats

Say it like this

classes

/ˈklæsəz/

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

2 beats
  1. clasklæstress
  2. sessəz
IPA (American)
/ˈklæsəz/
IPA (British)
/klasɪz/
Also accepted
/ˈklæsɪz/
Respelling
KLA-suhz
Syllables
2 — CLAS-ses
Stress
Stress the first syllable: CLAS-ses. “clas” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈklæsəz/

British

/klasɪz/

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

Meaning

What “classes” means

  1. noun

    a collection of things sharing a common attribute

    there are two classes of detergents

  2. noun

    a body of students who are taught together

    early morning classes are always sleepy

  3. noun

    people having the same social, economic, or educational status

    the working class

Say it in a sentence

She signed up for pottery classes at the community center.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them

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

Questions

classes”, answered

How do you pronounce “classes”?

“classes” is pronounced /ˈklæsəz/ (KLA-suhz) in American English and /klasɪz/ in British English, and /ˈklæsɪz/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “clas”. Build it as CLAS-ses, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “classes” have?

2: clas · ses. The beat lands on the first, “clas”.

Is “classes” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈklæsəz/ (KLA-suhz); British English says /klasɪz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “classes” mean?

As a noun: a collection of things sharing a common attribute For example: “there are two classes of detergents” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “classes”?

Stress the first syllable: CLAS-ses. “clas” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “classes” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.