How to pronounce “convert”
“convert” is said two ways
/kənˈvɝt/
kuhn-VURT
To change something into something else. Beat on VURT.
/ˈkɑnvɚt/
KAHN-vurt
A person who has changed faith or allegiance. Beat on KAHN.
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: “They convert the barn next month, and the new convert will help.”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 “convert” on its own would play one reading twice instead of the verb and the noun. Read the transcription as you listen.
Say “convert” in 2 beats
convert
/kənˈvɝt/
Everything in this card describes the verb form. As a noun it is /ˈkɑnvɚt/.
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /kənˈvɜːt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- conkən
- vertvɝtstress
- IPA (American)
- /kənˈvɝt/
- IPA (British)
- /kənˈvɜːt/
- Respelling
- kuhn-VURT (verb) · KAHN-vurt (noun)
- Syllables
- 2 — con-VERT
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: con-VERT. “vert” 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
American and British are not the same here
This is the verb form in two accents — a separate question from the two pronunciations above, which are the same accent saying two different words.
/kənˈvɝt/
/kənˈvɜːt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “convert” goes wrong
- Often heard
“a KAHN-vurt the files”
changing something is kuhn-VURT; KAHN-vurt is the person
What “convert” means
- noun
a person who has been converted to another religious or political belief
- verb
change from one system to another or to a new plan or policy
“We converted from 220 to 110 Volt”
- verb
change the nature, purpose, or function of something
“convert lead into gold”
Say it in a sentence
“They convert the barn next month, and the new convert will help.”“convert”, answered
How do you pronounce “convert”?
“convert” has two pronunciations: /kənˈvɝt/ as a verb and /ˈkɑnvɚt/ as a noun — 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 verb form. Build it as con-VERT, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “convert” have?
2: con · vert. The beat lands on the second, “vert”.
Which pronunciation of “convert” is correct?
Both are. /kənˈvɝt/ (kuhn-VURT) as a verb; /ˈkɑnvɚt/ (KAHN-vurt) as a noun. 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: “They convert the barn next month, and the new convert will help.”
Is “convert” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /kənˈvɝt/ (kuhn-VURT); British English says /kənˈvɜːt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “convert” mean?
As a noun: a person who has been converted to another religious or political belief For example: “They convert the barn next month, and the new convert will help.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “convert”?
Stress the second syllable: con-VERT. “vert” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “convert” 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.