How to pronounce “constructive”
Say “constructive” in 3 beats
constructive
/kənˈstɹʌktɪv/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /kənstɹʌktɪv/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- kənkən
- stɹʌkstɹʌkstress
- tɪvtɪv
- IPA (American)
- /kənˈstɹʌktɪv/
- IPA (British)
- /kənstɹʌktɪv/
- Respelling
- kuhn-STRUK-tiv
- Syllables
- 3 — kən-STɹɅK-tɪv
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: kən-STɹɅK-tɪv. “stɹʌk” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/kənˈstɹʌktɪv/
/kənstɹʌktɪv/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “constructive” means
- adjective
constructing or tending to construct or improve or promote development
“constructive criticism”
- adjective
emphasizing what is laudable or hopeful or to the good
“constructive criticism”
Say it in a sentence
“Constructive comments are welcome at any stage of the draft.”“constructive”, answered
How do you pronounce “constructive”?
“constructive” is pronounced /kənˈstɹʌktɪv/ (kuhn-STRUK-tiv) in American English and /kənstɹʌktɪv/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “stɹʌk”. Build it as kən-STɹɅK-tɪv, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “constructive” have?
3: kən · stɹʌk · tɪv. The beat lands on the second, “stɹʌk”.
Is “constructive” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /kənˈstɹʌktɪv/ (kuhn-STRUK-tiv); British English says /kənstɹʌktɪv/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “constructive” mean?
As an adjective: constructing or tending to construct or improve or promote development For example: “constructive criticism” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “constructive”?
Stress the second syllable: kən-STɹɅK-tɪv. “stɹʌk” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “constructive” 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.