How to pronounce “obtain”
Say “obtain” in 2 beats
obtain
/əbˈteɪn/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɒbteɪn/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- obəb
- tainteɪnstress
- IPA (American)
- /əbˈteɪn/
- IPA (British)
- /ɒbteɪn/
- Respelling
- uhb-TAYN
- Syllables
- 2 — ob-TAIN
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: ob-TAIN. “tain” 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
American and British are not the same here
/əbˈteɪn/
/ɒbteɪn/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “obtain” means
- verb
come into possession of
“How did you obtain the visa?”
- verb
receive a specified treatment (abstract)
“These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation”
- verb
be valid, applicable, or true
“This theory still holds”
Say it in a sentence
“You can obtain a form from the post office.”“obtain”, answered
How do you pronounce “obtain”?
“obtain” is pronounced /əbˈteɪn/ (uhb-TAYN) in American English and /ɒbteɪn/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “tain”. Build it as ob-TAIN, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “obtain” have?
2: ob · tain. The beat lands on the second, “tain”.
Is “obtain” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /əbˈteɪn/ (uhb-TAYN); British English says /ɒbteɪn/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “obtain” mean?
As a verb: come into possession of For example: “How did you obtain the visa?” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “obtain”?
Stress the second syllable: ob-TAIN. “tain” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “obtain” 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.