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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “format”

“format” is pronounced /ˈfɔɹˌmæt/ (FAWR-mat) in American English and /fɔːmat/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “for”.
The sound

Say “format” in 2 beats

Say it like this

format

/ˈfɔɹˌmæt/

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

2 beats
  1. forfɔɹstress
  2. matmæt
IPA (American)
/ˈfɔɹˌmæt/
IPA (British)
/fɔːmat/
Respelling
FAWR-mat
Syllables
2 — FOR-mat
Stress
Stress the first syllable: FOR-mat. “for” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈfɔɹˌmæt/

British

/fɔːmat/

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

Meaning

What “format” means

  1. noun

    the organization of information according to preset specifications (usually for computer processing)

  2. noun

    the general appearance of a publication

  3. verb

    set (printed matter) into a specific format

    “Format this letter so it can be printed out”

Say it in a sentence

“The format of the report changed three times this year.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
ffɔawɹrmmæshort att

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“format”, answered

How do you pronounce “format”?

“format” is pronounced /ˈfɔɹˌmæt/ (FAWR-mat) in American English and /fɔːmat/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “for”. Build it as FOR-mat, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “format” have?

2: for · mat. The beat lands on the first, “for”.

Is “format” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈfɔɹˌmæt/ (FAWR-mat); British English says /fɔːmat/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “format” mean?

As a noun: the organization of information according to preset specifications (usually for computer processing) For example: “The format of the report changed three times this year.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “format”?

Stress the first syllable: FOR-mat. “for” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “format” and see every sound

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