Pronunciation

How to pronounce “county

“county” is pronounced /ˈkaʊnti/ (KOWN-tee) in American English and /kaʊnti/ in British English, and /ˈkaʊni/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “coun”.
The sound

Say “county” in 2 beats

Say it like this

county

/ˈkaʊnti/

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

2 beats
  1. counkaʊnstress
  2. tyti
IPA (American)
/ˈkaʊnti/
IPA (British)
/kaʊnti/
Also accepted
/ˈkaʊni/
Respelling
KOWN-tee
Syllables
2 — COUN-ty
Stress
Stress the first syllable: COUN-ty. “coun” 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

/ˈkaʊnti/

British

/kaʊnti/

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

Meaning

What “county” means

  1. noun

    (United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government

    the county has a population of 12,345 people

  2. noun

    (United States) the largest administrative district within a state

    the county plans to build a new road

Say it in a sentence

The fair is held every summer at the county grounds.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

county”, answered

How do you pronounce “county”?

“county” is pronounced /ˈkaʊnti/ (KOWN-tee) in American English and /kaʊnti/ in British English, and /ˈkaʊni/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “coun”. Build it as COUN-ty, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “county” have?

2: coun · ty. The beat lands on the first, “coun”.

Is “county” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈkaʊnti/ (KOWN-tee); British English says /kaʊnti/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “county” mean?

As a noun: (United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government For example: “the county has a population of 12,345 people” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “county”?

Stress the first syllable: COUN-ty. “coun” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “county” 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.