Pronunciation

How to pronounce “impose

“impose” is pronounced /ˌɪmˈpoʊz/ (im-POHZ) in American English and /ɪmpəʊz/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “poʊz”.
The sound

Say “impose” in 2 beats

Say it like this

impose

/ˌɪmˈpoʊz/

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

2 beats
  1. ɪmɪm
  2. poʊzpoʊzstress
IPA (American)
/ˌɪmˈpoʊz/
IPA (British)
/ɪmpəʊz/
Respelling
im-POHZ
Syllables
2 — ɪm-POƱZ
Stress
Stress the second syllable: ɪm-POƱZ. “poʊz” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˌɪmˈpoʊz/

British

/ɪmpəʊz/

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

Meaning

What “impose” means

  1. verb

    compel to behave in a certain way

    Social relations impose courtesy

  2. verb

    impose something unpleasant

    The principal visited his rage on the students

  3. verb

    impose and collect

    levy a fine

Say it in a sentence

Do not impose your bedtime routine on other people's children.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

impose”, answered

How do you pronounce “impose”?

“impose” is pronounced /ˌɪmˈpoʊz/ (im-POHZ) in American English and /ɪmpəʊz/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “poʊz”. Build it as ɪm-POƱZ, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “impose” have?

2: ɪm · poʊz. The beat lands on the second, “poʊz”.

Is “impose” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌɪmˈpoʊz/ (im-POHZ); British English says /ɪmpəʊz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “impose” mean?

As a verb: compel to behave in a certain way For example: “Social relations impose courtesy” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “impose”?

Stress the second syllable: ɪm-POƱZ. “poʊz” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “impose” 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.