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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “refine”

“refine” is pronounced /ɹəˈfaɪn/ (ruh-FYN) in American English and /ɹɪfaɪn/ in British English, and /ɹɪˈfaɪn/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “faɪn”.
The sound

Say “refine” in 2 beats

Say it like this

refine

/ɹəˈfaɪn/

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

2 beats
  1. ɹəɹə
  2. faɪnfaɪnstress
IPA (American)
/ɹəˈfaɪn/
IPA (British)
/ɹɪfaɪn/
Also accepted
/ɹɪˈfaɪn/
Respelling
ruh-FYN
Syllables
2 — ɹə-FAꞮN
Stress
Stress the second syllable: ɹə-FAꞮN. “faɪn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ɹəˈfaɪn/

British

/ɹɪfaɪn/

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

Meaning

What “refine” means

  1. verb

    improve or perfect by pruning or polishing

    “refine one's style of writing”

  2. verb

    make more complex, intricate, or richer

    “refine a design or pattern”

  3. verb

    treat or prepare so as to put in a usable condition

    “refine paper stock”

Say it in a sentence

“A few more rehearsals will refine the ending nicely.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 sounds, in the order you say them
ɹrəschwaffaɪlong inn

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

Questions

“refine”, answered

How do you pronounce “refine”?

“refine” is pronounced /ɹəˈfaɪn/ (ruh-FYN) in American English and /ɹɪfaɪn/ in British English, and /ɹɪˈfaɪn/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “faɪn”. Build it as ɹə-FAꞮN, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “refine” have?

2: ɹə · faɪn. The beat lands on the second, “faɪn”.

Is “refine” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ɹəˈfaɪn/ (ruh-FYN); British English says /ɹɪfaɪn/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “refine” mean?

As a verb: improve or perfect by pruning or polishing For example: “refine one's style of writing” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “refine”?

Stress the second syllable: ɹə-FAꞮN. “faɪn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

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