Pronunciation

How to pronounce “constraint

“constraint” is pronounced /kənˈstɹeɪnt/ (kuhn-STRAYNT) in American English and /kənstɹeɪnt/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “traint”.
The sound

Say “constraint” in 2 beats

Say it like this

constraint

/kənˈstɹeɪnt/

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

2 beats
  1. conskən
  2. traintstɹeɪntstress
IPA (American)
/kənˈstɹeɪnt/
IPA (British)
/kənstɹeɪnt/
Respelling
kuhn-STRAYNT
Syllables
2 — cons-TRAINT
Stress
Stress the second syllable: cons-TRAINT. “traint” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/kənˈstɹeɪnt/

British

/kənstɹeɪnt/

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

Meaning

What “constraint” means

  1. noun

    the state of being physically constrained

    dogs should be kept under restraint

  2. noun

    a device that retards something's motion

    the car did not have proper restraints fitted

  3. noun

    the act of constraining; the threat or use of force to control the thoughts or behavior of others

Say it in a sentence

Time was the real constraint on the project, not money.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 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

constraint”, answered

How do you pronounce “constraint”?

“constraint” is pronounced /kənˈstɹeɪnt/ (kuhn-STRAYNT) in American English and /kənstɹeɪnt/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “traint”. Build it as cons-TRAINT, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “constraint” have?

2: cons · traint. The beat lands on the second, “traint”.

Is “constraint” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /kənˈstɹeɪnt/ (kuhn-STRAYNT); British English says /kənstɹeɪnt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “constraint” mean?

As a noun: the state of being physically constrained For example: “dogs should be kept under restraint” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “constraint”?

Stress the second syllable: cons-TRAINT. “traint” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “constraint” 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.