How to pronounce “pervert”
“pervert” is said two ways
/pɚˈvɝt/
pur-VURT
To twist something out of shape — to pervert the course of justice. Beat on VURT.
/ˈpɝvɚt/
PUR-vurt
The person. Beat on PUR.
Listen for the beat, not the letters
One syllable gets longer, louder and a step higher, and the other one collapses towards a schwa. Say the whole sentence rather than the word on its own and let the grammar pull the beat where it belongs.Both forms live in one sentence here: “Any attempt to pervert the inquiry would be reported at once.”Each button plays a short phrase rather than the bare word: the model voice takes its stress from the words around it, so asking it for “pervert” on its own would play one reading twice instead of the verb and the noun. Read the transcription as you listen.
Say “pervert” in 2 beats
pervert
/pɚˈvɝt/
Everything in this card describes the verb form. As a noun it is /ˈpɝvɚt/.
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /pəˈvɜːt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- perpɚ
- vertvɝtstress
- IPA (American)
- /pɚˈvɝt/
- IPA (British)
- /pəˈvɜːt/
- Respelling
- pur-VURT (verb) · PUR-vurt (noun)
- Syllables
- 2 — per-VERT
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: per-VERT. “vert” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
This is the verb form in two accents — a separate question from the two pronunciations above, which are the same accent saying two different words.
/pɚˈvɝt/
/pəˈvɜːt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “pervert” goes wrong
- Often heard
“PUR-vurt the evidence”
twisting something is pur-VURT; PUR-vurt is the noun
What “pervert” means
- noun
a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior
- verb
corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
“debauch the young people with wine and women”
- verb
practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive
“Don't twist my words”
Say it in a sentence
“Any attempt to pervert the inquiry would be reported at once.”“pervert”, answered
How do you pronounce “pervert”?
“pervert” has two pronunciations: /pɚˈvɝt/ as a verb and /ˈpɝvɚt/ as a noun — the part of speech decides which. The spelling never changes; the beat does, and the vowels reshape around wherever it lands. The transcription and syllable breakdown below describe the verb form. Build it as per-VERT, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “pervert” have?
2: per · vert. The beat lands on the second, “vert”.
Which pronunciation of “pervert” is correct?
Both are. /pɚˈvɝt/ (pur-VURT) as a verb; /ˈpɝvɚt/ (PUR-vurt) as a noun. Nothing about the spelling tells you which — the sentence does. Move the beat and the word changes its job mid-sentence, which is why both are worth drilling. Both appear here: “Any attempt to pervert the inquiry would be reported at once.”
Is “pervert” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /pɚˈvɝt/ (pur-VURT); British English says /pəˈvɜːt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “pervert” mean?
As a noun: a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior For example: “Any attempt to pervert the inquiry would be reported at once.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “pervert”?
Stress the second syllable: per-VERT. “vert” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “pervert” 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.