How to pronounce “contract”
“contract” is said two ways
/ˈkɑnˌtɹækt/
KAHN-trakt
The signed agreement. Beat on KAHN.
/kənˈtɹækt/
kuhn-TRAKT
To shrink, or to catch an illness. Beat on TRAKT.
Listen for the beat, not the letters
One syllable gets longer, louder and a step higher, and the other one collapses towards a schwa. Say the whole sentence rather than the word on its own and let the grammar pull the beat where it belongs.Both forms live in one sentence here: “Metals contract in the cold, which the contract failed to mention.”Each button plays a short phrase rather than the bare word: the model voice takes its stress from the words around it, so asking it for “contract” on its own would play one reading twice instead of the noun and the verb. Read the transcription as you listen.
Say “contract” in 2 beats
contract
/ˈkɑnˌtɹækt/
Everything in this card describes the noun form. As a verb it is /kənˈtɹækt/.
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈkɒntɹakt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- contkɑnstress
- racttɹækt
- IPA (American)
- /ˈkɑnˌtɹækt/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈkɒntɹakt/
- Respelling
- KAHN-trakt (noun) · kuhn-TRAKT (verb)
- Syllables
- 2 — CONT-ract
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: CONT-ract. “cont” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
This is the noun form in two accents — a separate question from the two pronunciations above, which are the same accent saying two different words.
/ˈkɑnˌtɹækt/
/ˈkɒntɹakt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “contract” goes wrong
- Often heard
“the muscles KAHN-trakt”
shrinking is kuhn-TRAKT; KAHN-trakt is the document
What “contract” means
- noun
a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law
- noun
(contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make
- noun
a variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks he bid
Say it in a sentence
“Metals contract in the cold, which the contract failed to mention.”“contract”, answered
How do you pronounce “contract”?
“contract” has two pronunciations: /ˈkɑnˌtɹækt/ as a noun and /kənˈtɹækt/ as a verb — the part of speech decides which. The spelling never changes; the beat does, and the vowels reshape around wherever it lands. The transcription and syllable breakdown below describe the noun form. Build it as CONT-ract, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “contract” have?
2: cont · ract. The beat lands on the first, “cont”.
Which pronunciation of “contract” is correct?
Both are. /ˈkɑnˌtɹækt/ (KAHN-trakt) as a noun; /kənˈtɹækt/ (kuhn-TRAKT) as a verb. Nothing about the spelling tells you which — the sentence does. Move the beat and the word changes its job mid-sentence, which is why both are worth drilling. Both appear here: “Metals contract in the cold, which the contract failed to mention.”
Is “contract” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈkɑnˌtɹækt/ (KAHN-trakt); British English says /ˈkɒntɹakt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “contract” mean?
As a noun: a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law For example: “Metals contract in the cold, which the contract failed to mention.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “contract”?
Stress the first syllable: CONT-ract. “cont” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “contract” 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.