How to pronounce “ensure”
Say “ensure” in 2 beats
ensure
/ɛnˈʃʊɹ/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɛnʃʊə/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- ɛnɛn
- ʃʊɹʃʊɹstress
- IPA (American)
- /ɛnˈʃʊɹ/
- IPA (British)
- /ɛnʃʊə/
- Also accepted
- /ɪnˈʃʊɹ/
- Respelling
- en-SHUUR
- Syllables
- 2 — ɛn-ƩƱɹ
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: ɛn-ƩƱɹ. “ʃʊɹ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ɛnˈʃʊɹ/
/ɛnʃʊə/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “ensure” means
- verb
make certain of
“This nest egg will ensure a nice retirement for us”
- verb
be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something
“He verified that the valves were closed”
Say it in a sentence
“Check the latch twice to ensure the hens stay safe.”“ensure”, answered
How do you pronounce “ensure”?
“ensure” is pronounced /ɛnˈʃʊɹ/ (en-SHUUR) in American English and /ɛnʃʊə/ in British English, and /ɪnˈʃʊɹ/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “ʃʊɹ”. Build it as ɛn-ƩƱɹ, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “ensure” have?
2: ɛn · ʃʊɹ. The beat lands on the second, “ʃʊɹ”.
Is “ensure” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ɛnˈʃʊɹ/ (en-SHUUR); British English says /ɛnʃʊə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “ensure” mean?
As a verb: make certain of For example: “This nest egg will ensure a nice retirement for us” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “ensure”?
Stress the second syllable: ɛn-ƩƱɹ. “ʃʊɹ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “ensure” 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.