Pronunciation

How to pronounce “contrast

“contrast” is pronounced /ˈkɑntɹæst/ (KAHN-trast) in American English and /kɒntɹast/ in British English, and /kənˈtɹæst/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “cont”.
The sound

Say “contrast” in 2 beats

Say it like this

contrast

/ˈkɑntɹæst/

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

2 beats
  1. contkɑnstress
  2. rasttɹæst
IPA (American)
/ˈkɑntɹæst/
IPA (British)
/kɒntɹast/
Also accepted
/kənˈtɹæst/
Respelling
KAHN-trast
Syllables
2 — CONT-rast
Stress
Stress the first syllable: CONT-rast. “cont” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls 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

/ˈkɑntɹæst/

British

/kɒntɹast/

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

Meaning

What “contrast” means

  1. noun

    the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared; ,

    in contrast to

  2. noun

    the act of distinguishing by comparing differences

  3. noun

    a conceptual separation or distinction

    there is a narrow line between sanity and insanity

Say it in a sentence

The contrast between the two villages is striking.
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

contrast”, answered

How do you pronounce “contrast”?

“contrast” is pronounced /ˈkɑntɹæst/ (KAHN-trast) in American English and /kɒntɹast/ in British English, and /kənˈtɹæst/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “cont”. Build it as CONT-rast, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “contrast” have?

2: cont · rast. The beat lands on the first, “cont”.

Is “contrast” said differently in British English?

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

What does “contrast” mean?

As a noun: the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared; , For example: “in contrast to” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “contrast”?

Stress the first syllable: CONT-rast. “cont” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “contrast” 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.