Pronunciation

How to pronounce “programs

“programs” is pronounced /ˈpɹoʊˌɡɹæmz/ (PROH-gramz) in American English and /pɹəʊɡɹamz/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “prog”.
The sound

Say “programs” in 2 beats

Say it like this

programs

/ˈpɹoʊˌɡɹæmz/

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

2 beats
  1. progpɹoʊstress
  2. ramsɡɹæmz
IPA (American)
/ˈpɹoʊˌɡɹæmz/
IPA (British)
/pɹəʊɡɹamz/
Respelling
PROH-gramz
Syllables
2 — PROG-rams
Stress
Stress the first syllable: PROG-rams. “prog” 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

/ˈpɹoʊˌɡɹæmz/

British

/pɹəʊɡɹamz/

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

Meaning

What “programs” means

  1. noun

    a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

    they drew up a six-step plan

  2. noun

    a system of projects or services intended to meet a public need

    he proposed an elaborate program of public works

  3. noun

    a radio or television show

    did you see his program last night?

Say it in a sentence

The school offers several after-school programs for younger kids.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 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

programs”, answered

How do you pronounce “programs”?

“programs” is pronounced /ˈpɹoʊˌɡɹæmz/ (PROH-gramz) in American English and /pɹəʊɡɹamz/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “prog”. Build it as PROG-rams, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “programs” have?

2: prog · rams. The beat lands on the first, “prog”.

Is “programs” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈpɹoʊˌɡɹæmz/ (PROH-gramz); British English says /pɹəʊɡɹamz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “programs” mean?

As a noun: a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished For example: “they drew up a six-step plan” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “programs”?

Stress the first syllable: PROG-rams. “prog” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “programs” 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.