How to pronounce “instead”
Say “instead” in 2 beats
instead
/ˌɪnˈstɛd/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɪnstɛd/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- insɪn
- teadstɛdstress
- IPA (American)
- /ˌɪnˈstɛd/
- IPA (British)
- /ɪnstɛd/
- Respelling
- in-STED
- Syllables
- 2 — ins-TEAD
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: ins-TEAD. “tead” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˌɪnˈstɛd/
/ɪnstɛd/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “instead” means
- adverb
in place of, or as an alternative to
“Felix became a herpetologist instead”
- adverb
on the contrary
“rather than disappoint the children, he did two quick tricks before he left”
Say it in a sentence
“They stayed home instead of going to the concert.”“instead”, answered
How do you pronounce “instead”?
“instead” is pronounced /ˌɪnˈstɛd/ (in-STED) in American English and /ɪnstɛd/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “tead”. Build it as ins-TEAD, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “instead” have?
2: ins · tead. The beat lands on the second, “tead”.
Is “instead” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˌɪnˈstɛd/ (in-STED); British English says /ɪnstɛd/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “instead” mean?
As an adverb: in place of, or as an alternative to For example: “Felix became a herpetologist instead” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “instead”?
Stress the second syllable: ins-TEAD. “tead” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “instead” 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.