Pronunciation

How to pronounce “random

“random” is pronounced /ˈɹændəm/ (RAN-duhm) in American English and /ɹandəm/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ran”.
The sound

Say “random” in 2 beats

Say it like this

random

/ˈɹændəm/

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

2 beats
  1. ranɹænstress
  2. domdəm
IPA (American)
/ˈɹændəm/
IPA (British)
/ɹandəm/
Respelling
RAN-duhm
Syllables
2 — RAN-dom
Stress
Stress the first syllable: RAN-dom. “ran” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈɹændəm/

British

/ɹandəm/

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

Meaning

What “random” means

  1. adjective

    lacking any definite plan or order or purpose; governed by or depending on chance

    a random choice

Say it in a sentence

The order of the names looked completely random.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 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

random”, answered

How do you pronounce “random”?

“random” is pronounced /ˈɹændəm/ (RAN-duhm) in American English and /ɹandəm/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ran”. Build it as RAN-dom, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “random” have?

2: ran · dom. The beat lands on the first, “ran”.

Is “random” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈɹændəm/ (RAN-duhm); British English says /ɹandəm/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “random” mean?

As an adjective: lacking any definite plan or order or purpose; governed by or depending on chance For example: “a random choice”

Where is the stress in “random”?

Stress the first syllable: RAN-dom. “ran” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “random” 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.