How to pronounce “impact”
“impact” is said two ways
/ˈɪmpækt/
IM-pakt
The effect, or the collision. Beat on IM.
/ˌɪmˈpækt/
im-PAKT
To strike, or to affect. Beat on PAKT.
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: “Rate rises impact spending, and that impact reaches every shop.”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 “impact” on its own would play one reading twice instead of the noun and the verb. Read the transcription as you listen.
Say “impact” in 2 beats
impact
/ˈɪmpækt/
Everything in this card describes the noun form. As a verb it is /ˌɪmˈpækt/.
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈɪmpakt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- imɪm
- pactpæktstress
- IPA (American)
- /ˈɪmpækt/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈɪmpakt/
- Respelling
- IM-pakt (noun) · im-PAKT (verb)
- Syllables
- 2 — im-PACT
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: im-PACT. “pact” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
This is the noun form in two accents — a separate question from the two pronunciations above, which are the same accent saying two different words.
/ˈɪmpækt/
/ˈɪmpakt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “impact” goes wrong
- Often heard
“it will IM-pakt sales”
as a verb it is im-PAKT; IM-pakt is the effect
What “impact” means
- noun
the striking of one body against another
- noun
a forceful consequence; a strong effect
“the book had an important impact on my thinking”
- noun
influencing strongly
“they resented the impingement of American values on European culture”
Say it in a sentence
“Rate rises impact spending, and that impact reaches every shop.”“impact”, answered
How do you pronounce “impact”?
“impact” has two pronunciations: /ˈɪmpækt/ as a noun and /ˌɪmˈpækt/ as a verb — 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 noun form. Build it as im-PACT, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “impact” have?
2: im · pact. The beat lands on the second, “pact”.
Which pronunciation of “impact” is correct?
Both are. /ˈɪmpækt/ (IM-pakt) as a noun; /ˌɪmˈpækt/ (im-PAKT) as a verb. 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: “Rate rises impact spending, and that impact reaches every shop.”
Is “impact” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈɪmpækt/ (IM-pakt); British English says /ˈɪmpakt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “impact” mean?
As a noun: the striking of one body against another For example: “Rate rises impact spending, and that impact reaches every shop.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “impact”?
Stress the second syllable: im-PACT. “pact” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “impact” 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.