How to pronounce “maintain”
Say “maintain” in 2 beats
maintain
/meɪnˈteɪn/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /meɪnteɪn/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- mainmeɪn
- tainteɪnstress
- IPA (American)
- /meɪnˈteɪn/
- IPA (British)
- /meɪnteɪn/
- Respelling
- mayn-TAYN
- Syllables
- 2 — main-TAIN
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: main-TAIN. “tain” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/meɪnˈteɪn/
/meɪnteɪn/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “maintain” means
- verb
keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g.,
“keep clean”
- verb
keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction
“We preserve these archeological findings”
- verb
supply with necessities and support
“She alone sustained her family”
Say it in a sentence
“It is hard to maintain a garden this size alone.”The sounds inside this word
Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.
“maintain”, answered
How do you pronounce “maintain”?
“maintain” is pronounced /meɪnˈteɪn/ (mayn-TAYN) in American English and /meɪnteɪn/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “tain”. Build it as main-TAIN, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “maintain” have?
2: main · tain. The beat lands on the second, “tain”.
Is “maintain” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /meɪnˈteɪn/ (mayn-TAYN); British English says /meɪnteɪn/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “maintain” mean?
As a verb: keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., For example: “keep clean” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “maintain”?
Stress the second syllable: main-TAIN. “tain” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “maintain” 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.