Pronunciation

How to pronounce “eastern

“eastern” is pronounced /ˈistɚn/ (EE-stuhn) in American English and /iːstən/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “eas”.
The sound

Say “eastern” in 2 beats

Say it like this

eastern

/ˈistɚn/

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

2 beats
  1. easistress
  2. ternstɚn
IPA (American)
/ˈistɚn/
IPA (British)
/iːstən/
Respelling
EE-stuhn
Syllables
2 — EAS-tern
Stress
Stress the first syllable: EAS-tern. “eas” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈistɚn/

British

/iːstən/

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

Meaning

What “eastern” means

  1. adjective

    lying toward or situated in the east

    the eastern end of the island

  2. adjective

    of or characteristic of eastern regions of the United States

    the Eastern establishment

  3. adjective

    lying in or toward the east

    the east side of New York

Say it in a sentence

They drove along the eastern edge of the valley at sunrise.
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

eastern”, answered

How do you pronounce “eastern”?

“eastern” is pronounced /ˈistɚn/ (EE-stuhn) in American English and /iːstən/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “eas”. Build it as EAS-tern, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “eastern” have?

2: eas · tern. The beat lands on the first, “eas”.

Is “eastern” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈistɚn/ (EE-stuhn); British English says /iːstən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “eastern” mean?

As an adjective: lying toward or situated in the east For example: “the eastern end of the island” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “eastern”?

Stress the first syllable: EAS-tern. “eas” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “eastern” 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.