Pronunciation

How to pronounce “rebound

“rebound” has two pronunciations: /ˈɹiˌbaʊnd/ as a noun and /ɹiˈbaʊnd/ as a verb — 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 noun form.
Two pronunciations

rebound” is said two ways

As a noun

/ˈɹiˌbaʊnd/

REE-bownd

The bounce back, in basketball or in life. Beat on REE.

As a verb

/ɹiˈbaʊnd/

rih-BOWND

To bounce back. Beat on BOWND.

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: “Shares rebound in spring, and that rebound saved the year.

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 “rebound” on its own would play one reading twice instead of the noun and the verb. Read the transcription as you listen.

The sound

Say “rebound” in 2 beats

Say it like this — as a noun

rebound

/ˈɹiˌbaʊnd/

Everything in this card describes the noun form. As a verb it is /ɹiˈbaʊnd/.

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

2 beats
  1. rebɹi
  2. oundbaʊndstress
IPA (American)
/ˈɹiˌbaʊnd/
IPA (British)
/ˈɹiːbaʊnd/
Respelling
REE-bownd (noun) · rih-BOWND (verb)
Syllables
2 — reb-OUND
Stress
Stress the second syllable: reb-OUND. “ound” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

This is the noun form in two accents — a separate question from the two pronunciations above, which are the same accent saying two different words.

American

/ˈɹiˌbaʊnd/

British

/ˈɹiːbaʊnd/

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

Watch out

Where “rebound” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    grab the rih-BOWND

    the ball itself is REE-bownd; rih-BOWND is what it does

Meaning

What “rebound” means

  1. noun

    a movement back from an impact

  2. noun

    a reaction to a crisis or setback or frustration

    he is still on the rebound from his wife's death

  3. noun

    the act of securing possession of the rebounding basketball after a missed shot

Say it in a sentence

Shares rebound in spring, and that rebound saved the year.
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

rebound”, answered

How do you pronounce “rebound”?

“rebound” has two pronunciations: /ˈɹiˌbaʊnd/ as a noun and /ɹiˈbaʊnd/ as a verb — 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 noun form. Build it as reb-OUND, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “rebound” have?

2: reb · ound. The beat lands on the second, “ound”.

Which pronunciation of “rebound” is correct?

Both are. /ˈɹiˌbaʊnd/ (REE-bownd) as a noun; /ɹiˈbaʊnd/ (rih-BOWND) as a verb. 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: “Shares rebound in spring, and that rebound saved the year.”

Is “rebound” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈɹiˌbaʊnd/ (REE-bownd); British English says /ˈɹiːbaʊnd/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “rebound” mean?

As a noun: a movement back from an impact For example: “Shares rebound in spring, and that rebound saved the year.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “rebound”?

Stress the second syllable: reb-OUND. “ound” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “rebound” 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.