How to pronounce “design”
Say “design” in 2 beats
design
/dɪˈzaɪn/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /dɪzaɪn/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- desdɪ
- ignzaɪnstress
- IPA (American)
- /dɪˈzaɪn/
- IPA (British)
- /dɪzaɪn/
- Respelling
- di-ZYN
- Syllables
- 2 — des-IGN
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: des-IGN. “ign” 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
/dɪˈzaɪn/
/dɪzaɪn/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “design” means
- noun
the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)
“he contributed to the design of a new instrument”
- noun
an arrangement scheme
“the awkward design of the keyboard made operation difficult”
- noun
something intended as a guide for making something else
“a blueprint for a house”
Say it in a sentence
“The design of the chair has not changed since nineteen fifty.”“design”, answered
How do you pronounce “design”?
“design” is pronounced /dɪˈzaɪn/ (di-ZYN) in American English and /dɪzaɪn/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ign”. Build it as des-IGN, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “design” have?
2: des · ign. The beat lands on the second, “ign”.
Is “design” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /dɪˈzaɪn/ (di-ZYN); British English says /dɪzaɪn/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “design” mean?
As a noun: the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan) For example: “he contributed to the design of a new instrument” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “design”?
Stress the second syllable: des-IGN. “ign” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “design” 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.