How to pronounce “matter”
Say “matter” in 2 beats
matter
/ˈmætɚ/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /matə/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- matmæstress
- tertɚ
- IPA (American)
- /ˈmætɚ/
- IPA (British)
- /matə/
- Respelling
- MA-tuh
- Syllables
- 2 — MAT-ter
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: MAT-ter. “mat” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈmætɚ/
/matə/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “matter” means
- noun
a vaguely specified concern
“several matters to attend to”
- noun
some situation or event that is thought about
“he kept drifting off the topic”
- noun
that which has mass and occupies space
“physicists study both the nature of matter and the forces which govern it”
Say it in a sentence
“It doesn't matter which route we take to the airport.”“matter”, answered
How do you pronounce “matter”?
“matter” is pronounced /ˈmætɚ/ (MA-tuh) in American English and /matə/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “mat”. Build it as MAT-ter, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “matter” have?
2: mat · ter. The beat lands on the first, “mat”.
Is “matter” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈmætɚ/ (MA-tuh); British English says /matə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “matter” mean?
As a noun: a vaguely specified concern For example: “several matters to attend to” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “matter”?
Stress the first syllable: MAT-ter. “mat” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “matter” 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.