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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “instrument”

“instrument” is pronounced /ˈɪnstɹəmənt/ (IN-struh-muhnt) in American English and /ɪnstɹəmənt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “ins”.
The sound

Say “instrument” in 3 beats

Say it like this

instrument

/ˈɪnstɹəmənt/

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

3 beats
  1. insɪnstress
  2. trumstɹə
  3. entmənt
IPA (American)
/ˈɪnstɹəmənt/
IPA (British)
/ɪnstɹəmənt/
Respelling
IN-struh-muhnt
Syllables
3 — INS-trum-ent
Stress
Stress the first syllable: INS-trum-ent. “ins” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall 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

/ˈɪnstɹəmənt/

British

/ɪnstɹəmənt/

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

Meaning

What “instrument” means

  1. noun

    a device that requires skill for proper use

  2. noun

    the means whereby some act is accomplished

    “my greed was the instrument of my destruction”

  3. noun

    a person used by another to gain an end

Say it in a sentence

“The violin is the only instrument she ever wanted to learn.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them
ɪshort inn×2sstt×2ɹrəschwa×2mm

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

Questions

“instrument”, answered

How do you pronounce “instrument”?

“instrument” is pronounced /ˈɪnstɹəmənt/ (IN-struh-muhnt) in American English and /ɪnstɹəmənt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “ins”. Build it as INS-trum-ent, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “instrument” have?

3: ins · trum · ent. The beat lands on the first, “ins”.

Is “instrument” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈɪnstɹəmənt/ (IN-struh-muhnt); British English says /ɪnstɹəmənt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “instrument” mean?

As a noun: a device that requires skill for proper use For example: “The violin is the only instrument she ever wanted to learn.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “instrument”?

Stress the first syllable: INS-trum-ent. “ins” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “instrument” and see every sound

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