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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “respect”

“respect” is pronounced /ɹɪˈspɛkt/ (ri-SPEKT) in American English and /ɹɪspɛkt/ in British English, and /ɹiˈspɛkt/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “pect”.
The sound

Say “respect” in 2 beats

Say it like this

respect

/ɹɪˈspɛkt/

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

2 beats
  1. resɹɪ
  2. pectspɛktstress
IPA (American)
/ɹɪˈspɛkt/
IPA (British)
/ɹɪspɛkt/
Also accepted
/ɹiˈspɛkt/
Respelling
ri-SPEKT
Syllables
2 — res-PECT
Stress
Stress the second syllable: res-PECT. “pect” 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

/ɹɪˈspɛkt/

British

/ɹɪspɛkt/

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

Meaning

What “respect” means

  1. noun

    (usually preceded by `in') a detail or point

    “it differs in that respect”

  2. noun

    the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded)

    “it is held in esteem”

  3. noun

    an attitude of admiration or esteem

    “she lost all respect for him”

Say it in a sentence

“The students showed great respect for their teacher.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them
ɹrɪshort issppɛshort ekktt

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

Questions

“respect”, answered

How do you pronounce “respect”?

“respect” is pronounced /ɹɪˈspɛkt/ (ri-SPEKT) in American English and /ɹɪspɛkt/ in British English, and /ɹiˈspɛkt/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “pect”. Build it as res-PECT, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “respect” have?

2: res · pect. The beat lands on the second, “pect”.

Is “respect” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ɹɪˈspɛkt/ (ri-SPEKT); British English says /ɹɪspɛkt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “respect” mean?

As a noun: (usually preceded by `in') a detail or point For example: “it differs in that respect” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “respect”?

Stress the second syllable: res-PECT. “pect” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

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