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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “complete”

“complete” is pronounced /kəmˈplit/ (kuhm-PLEET) in American English and /kəmpliːt/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “plit”.
The sound

Say “complete” in 2 beats

Say it like this

complete

/kəmˈplit/

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

2 beats
  1. kəmkəm
  2. plitplitstress
IPA (American)
/kəmˈplit/
IPA (British)
/kəmpliːt/
Respelling
kuhm-PLEET
Syllables
2 — kəm-PLIT
Stress
Stress the second syllable: kəm-PLIT. “plit” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
verb, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/kəmˈplit/

British

/kəmpliːt/

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

Meaning

What “complete” means

  1. verb

    come or bring to a finish or an end

    “He finished the dishes”

  2. verb

    bring to a whole, with all the necessary parts or elements

    “A child would complete the family”

  3. verb

    complete or carry out

    “discharge one's duties”

Say it in a sentence

“The renovation should be complete by the end of the month.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them
kkəschwammppllilong ett

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

Questions

“complete”, answered

How do you pronounce “complete”?

“complete” is pronounced /kəmˈplit/ (kuhm-PLEET) in American English and /kəmpliːt/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “plit”. Build it as kəm-PLIT, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “complete” have?

2: kəm · plit. The beat lands on the second, “plit”.

Is “complete” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /kəmˈplit/ (kuhm-PLEET); British English says /kəmpliːt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “complete” mean?

As a verb: come or bring to a finish or an end For example: “He finished the dishes” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “complete”?

Stress the second syllable: kəm-PLIT. “plit” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “complete” and see every sound

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