Pronunciation

How to pronounce “compromise

“compromise” is pronounced /ˈkɑmpɹəˌmaɪz/ (KAHM-pruh-myz) in American English and /kɒmpɹəmaɪz/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “kɑm”.
The sound

Say “compromise” in 3 beats

Say it like this

compromise

/ˈkɑmpɹəˌmaɪz/

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

3 beats
  1. kɑmkɑmstress
  2. pɹəpɹə
  3. maɪzmaɪz
IPA (American)
/ˈkɑmpɹəˌmaɪz/
IPA (British)
/kɒmpɹəmaɪz/
Respelling
KAHM-pruh-myz
Syllables
3 — KⱭM-pɹə-maɪz
Stress
Stress the first syllable: KⱭM-pɹə-maɪz. “kɑm” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈkɑmpɹəˌmaɪz/

British

/kɒmpɹəmaɪz/

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

Meaning

What “compromise” means

  1. noun

    a middle way between two extremes

  2. noun

    an accommodation in which both sides make concessions

    the newly elected congressmen rejected a compromise because they considered it `business as usual'

  3. verb

    make a compromise; arrive at a compromise

    nobody will get everything he wants; we all must compromise

Say it in a sentence

They reached a compromise over the hedge after months of arguing.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

8 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

compromise”, answered

How do you pronounce “compromise”?

“compromise” is pronounced /ˈkɑmpɹəˌmaɪz/ (KAHM-pruh-myz) in American English and /kɒmpɹəmaɪz/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “kɑm”. Build it as KⱭM-pɹə-maɪz, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “compromise” have?

3: kɑm · pɹə · maɪz. The beat lands on the first, “kɑm”.

Is “compromise” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈkɑmpɹəˌmaɪz/ (KAHM-pruh-myz); British English says /kɒmpɹəmaɪz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “compromise” mean?

As a noun: a middle way between two extremes For example: “They reached a compromise over the hedge after months of arguing.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “compromise”?

Stress the first syllable: KⱭM-pɹə-maɪz. “kɑm” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “compromise” and see every sound

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