Pronunciation

How to pronounce “context

“context” is pronounced /ˈkɑntɛkst/ (KAHN-tekst) in American English and /kɒntɛkst/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “con”.
The sound

Say “context” in 2 beats

Say it like this

context

/ˈkɑntɛkst/

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

2 beats
  1. conkɑnstress
  2. texttɛkst
IPA (American)
/ˈkɑntɛkst/
IPA (British)
/kɒntɛkst/
Respelling
KAHN-tekst
Syllables
2 — CON-text
Stress
Stress the first syllable: CON-text. “con” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈkɑntɛkst/

British

/kɒntɛkst/

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

Meaning

What “context” means

  1. noun

    discourse that surrounds a language unit and helps to determine its interpretation

  2. noun

    the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event

    the historical context

Say it in a sentence

That remark makes sense only in the context of the letter.
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

context”, answered

How do you pronounce “context”?

“context” is pronounced /ˈkɑntɛkst/ (KAHN-tekst) in American English and /kɒntɛkst/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “con”. Build it as CON-text, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “context” have?

2: con · text. The beat lands on the first, “con”.

Is “context” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈkɑntɛkst/ (KAHN-tekst); British English says /kɒntɛkst/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “context” mean?

As a noun: discourse that surrounds a language unit and helps to determine its interpretation For example: “That remark makes sense only in the context of the letter.” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “context”?

Stress the first syllable: CON-text. “con” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “context” 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.