How to pronounce “imperative”
Say “imperative” in 4 beats
imperative
/ˌɪmˈpɛɹətɪv/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɪmpɛɹətɪv/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- ɪmɪm
- pɛpɛstress
- ɹəɹə
- tɪvtɪv
- IPA (American)
- /ˌɪmˈpɛɹətɪv/
- IPA (British)
- /ɪmpɛɹətɪv/
- Respelling
- im-PE-ruh-tiv
- Syllables
- 4 — ɪm-PƐ-ɹə-tɪv
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: ɪm-PƐ-ɹə-tɪv. “pɛ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/ˌɪmˈpɛɹətɪv/
/ɪmpɛɹətɪv/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “imperative” means
- noun
a mood that expresses an intention to influence the listener's behavior
- noun
some duty that is essential and urgent
- adjective
requiring attention or action
“as nuclear weapons proliferate, preventing war becomes imperative”
Say it in a sentence
“'Sit down' is an imperative, not a polite request.”“imperative”, answered
How do you pronounce “imperative”?
“imperative” is pronounced /ˌɪmˈpɛɹətɪv/ (im-PE-ruh-tiv) in American English and /ɪmpɛɹətɪv/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “pɛ”. Build it as ɪm-PƐ-ɹə-tɪv, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “imperative” have?
4: ɪm · pɛ · ɹə · tɪv. The beat lands on the second, “pɛ”.
Is “imperative” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˌɪmˈpɛɹətɪv/ (im-PE-ruh-tiv); British English says /ɪmpɛɹətɪv/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “imperative” mean?
As a noun: a mood that expresses an intention to influence the listener's behavior For example: “'Sit down' is an imperative, not a polite request.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “imperative”?
Stress the second syllable: ɪm-PƐ-ɹə-tɪv. “pɛ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “imperative” 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.