Pronunciation

How to pronounce “extensive

“extensive” is pronounced /ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/ (ik-STEN-siv) in American English and /ɛkstɛnsɪv/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “stɛn”.
The sound

Say “extensive” in 3 beats

Say it like this

extensive

/ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/

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

3 beats
  1. ɪkɪk
  2. stɛnstɛnstress
  3. sɪvsɪv
IPA (American)
/ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/
IPA (British)
/ɛkstɛnsɪv/
Respelling
ik-STEN-siv
Syllables
3 — ɪk-STƐN-sɪv
Stress
Stress the second syllable: ɪk-STƐN-sɪv. “stɛn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/

British

/ɛkstɛnsɪv/

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

Meaning

What “extensive” means

  1. adjective

    large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity

    an extensive Roman settlement in northwest England

  2. adjective

    broad in scope or content; ; ; ; ; - T.G.Winner

    across-the-board pay increases

  3. adjective

    of agriculture; increasing productivity by using large areas with minimal outlay and labor

    producing wheat under extensive conditions

Say it in a sentence

The damage was extensive, but the frame was still sound.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 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

extensive”, answered

How do you pronounce “extensive”?

“extensive” is pronounced /ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/ (ik-STEN-siv) in American English and /ɛkstɛnsɪv/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “stɛn”. Build it as ɪk-STƐN-sɪv, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “extensive” have?

3: ɪk · stɛn · sɪv. The beat lands on the second, “stɛn”.

Is “extensive” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/ (ik-STEN-siv); British English says /ɛkstɛnsɪv/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “extensive” mean?

As an adjective: large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity For example: “an extensive Roman settlement in northwest England” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “extensive”?

Stress the second syllable: ɪk-STƐN-sɪv. “stɛn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “extensive” 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.