How to pronounce “exploit”
“exploit” is said two ways
/ˌɛkˈsplɔɪt/
ik-SPLOYT
To make use of, or to take unfair advantage. Beat on SPLOYT.
/ˈɛkˌsplɔɪt/
EKS-ployt
A daring feat — or, in security, a piece of attack code. Beat on EKS.
Listen for the beat, not the letters
One syllable gets longer, louder and a step higher, and the other one collapses towards a schwa. Say the whole sentence rather than the word on its own and let the grammar pull the beat where it belongs.Both forms live in one sentence here: “Attackers exploit the bug, and the exploit spread within a day.”Each button plays a short phrase rather than the bare word: the model voice takes its stress from the words around it, so asking it for “exploit” on its own would play one reading twice instead of the verb and the noun. Read the transcription as you listen.
Say “exploit” in 2 beats
exploit
/ˌɛkˈsplɔɪt/
Everything in this card describes the verb form. As a noun it is /ˈɛkˌsplɔɪt/.
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- expɛkstress
- loitsplɔɪt
- IPA (American)
- /ˌɛkˈsplɔɪt/
- IPA (British)
- /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/
- Respelling
- ik-SPLOYT (verb) · EKS-ployt (noun)
- Syllables
- 2 — EXP-loit
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: EXP-loit. “exp” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
This is the verb form in two accents — a separate question from the two pronunciations above, which are the same accent saying two different words.
/ˌɛkˈsplɔɪt/
/ɪkˈsplɔɪt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “exploit” goes wrong
- Often heard
“EKS-ployt a weakness”
using something is ik-SPLOYT; EKS-ployt is the feat itself
What “exploit” means
- noun
a notable achievement
“he performed a great feat”
- verb
use or manipulate to one's advantage
“He exploit the new taxation system”
- verb
draw from; make good use of
“we must exploit the resources we are given wisely”
Say it in a sentence
“Attackers exploit the bug, and the exploit spread within a day.”“exploit”, answered
How do you pronounce “exploit”?
“exploit” has two pronunciations: /ˌɛkˈsplɔɪt/ as a verb and /ˈɛkˌsplɔɪt/ as a noun — the part of speech decides which. The spelling never changes; the beat does, and the vowels reshape around wherever it lands. The transcription and syllable breakdown below describe the verb form. Build it as EXP-loit, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “exploit” have?
2: exp · loit. The beat lands on the first, “exp”.
Which pronunciation of “exploit” is correct?
Both are. /ˌɛkˈsplɔɪt/ (ik-SPLOYT) as a verb; /ˈɛkˌsplɔɪt/ (EKS-ployt) as a noun. Nothing about the spelling tells you which — the sentence does. Move the beat and the word changes its job mid-sentence, which is why both are worth drilling. Both appear here: “Attackers exploit the bug, and the exploit spread within a day.”
Is “exploit” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˌɛkˈsplɔɪt/ (ik-SPLOYT); British English says /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “exploit” mean?
As a noun: a notable achievement For example: “he performed a great feat” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “exploit”?
Stress the first syllable: EXP-loit. “exp” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “exploit” 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.