Pronunciation

How to pronounce “process

“process” is pronounced /ˈpɹɑsɛs/ (PROSS-ess (UK PROH-sess)) in American English and /ˈpɹəʊsɛs/ in British English, and /ˈpɹɔˌsɛs/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “proc”.
The sound

Say “process” in 2 beats

Say it like this

process

/ˈpɹɑsɛs/

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

2 beats
  1. procpɹɑstress
  2. esssɛs
IPA (American)
/ˈpɹɑsɛs/
IPA (British)
/ˈpɹəʊsɛs/
Also accepted
/ˈpɹɔˌsɛs/
Respelling
PROSS-ess (UK PROH-sess)
Syllables
2 — PROC-ess
Stress
Stress the first syllable: PROC-ess. “proc” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈpɹɑsɛs/

British

/ˈpɹəʊsɛs/

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

Watch out

Where “process” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    pruh-SESS

    the stress is on the first syllable in the noun

Meaning

What “process” means

  1. noun

    a particular course of action intended to achieve a result

    the procedure of obtaining a driver's license

  2. noun

    (psychology) the performance of some composite cognitive activity; an operation that affects mental contents

    the process of thinking

  3. noun

    a writ issued by authority of law; usually compels the defendant's attendance in a civil suit; failure to appear results in a default judgment against the defendant

Say it in a sentence

Learning a language is a slow process that rewards daily practice.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 sounds, in the order you say them

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

Questions

process”, answered

How do you pronounce “process”?

“process” is pronounced /ˈpɹɑsɛs/ (PROSS-ess (UK PROH-sess)) in American English and /ˈpɹəʊsɛs/ in British English, and /ˈpɹɔˌsɛs/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “proc”. Build it as PROC-ess, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “process” have?

2: proc · ess. The beat lands on the first, “proc”.

Is “process” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈpɹɑsɛs/ (PROSS-ess (UK PROH-sess)); British English says /ˈpɹəʊsɛs/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “process” mean?

As a noun: a particular course of action intended to achieve a result For example: “the procedure of obtaining a driver's license” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “process”?

Stress the first syllable: PROC-ess. “proc” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “process” 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.