Pronunciation

How to pronounce “copy

“copy” is pronounced /ˈkɑpi/ (KAH-pee) in American English and /kɒpɪ/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “cop”.
The sound

Say “copy” in 2 beats

Say it like this

copy

/ˈkɑpi/

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

2 beats
  1. copstress
  2. ypi
IPA (American)
/ˈkɑpi/
IPA (British)
/kɒpɪ/
Respelling
KAH-pee
Syllables
2 — COP-y
Stress
Stress the first syllable: COP-y. “cop” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈkɑpi/

British

/kɒpɪ/

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

Meaning

What “copy” means

  1. noun

    a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)

  2. noun

    a thing made to be similar or identical to another thing

    she made a copy of the designer dress

  3. noun

    matter to be printed; exclusive of graphical materials

Say it in a sentence

She kept a copy of the contract in her desk drawer.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 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

copy”, answered

How do you pronounce “copy”?

“copy” is pronounced /ˈkɑpi/ (KAH-pee) in American English and /kɒpɪ/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “cop”. Build it as COP-y, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “copy” have?

2: cop · y. The beat lands on the first, “cop”.

Is “copy” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈkɑpi/ (KAH-pee); British English says /kɒpɪ/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “copy” mean?

As a noun: a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record) For example: “She kept a copy of the contract in her desk drawer.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “copy”?

Stress the first syllable: COP-y. “cop” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “copy” 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.