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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “secret”

“secret” is pronounced /ˈsikɹət/ (SEE-kruht) in American English and /siːkɹɪt/ in British English, and /ˈsikɹɪt/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “sec”.
The sound

Say “secret” in 2 beats

Say it like this

secret

/ˈsikɹət/

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

2 beats
  1. secsistress
  2. retkɹət
IPA (American)
/ˈsikɹət/
IPA (British)
/siːkɹɪt/
Also accepted
/ˈsikɹɪt/
Respelling
SEE-kruht
Syllables
2 — SEC-ret
Stress
Stress the first syllable: SEC-ret. “sec” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈsikɹət/

British

/siːkɹɪt/

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

Meaning

What “secret” means

  1. noun

    something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)

    “the combination to the safe was a secret”

  2. noun

    information known only to a special group

    “the secret of Cajun cooking”

  3. noun

    something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

    “how it got out is a mystery”

Say it in a sentence

“She kept the surprise party a secret for weeks.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
ssilong ekkɹrəschwatt

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

Questions

“secret”, answered

How do you pronounce “secret”?

“secret” is pronounced /ˈsikɹət/ (SEE-kruht) in American English and /siːkɹɪt/ in British English, and /ˈsikɹɪt/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “sec”. Build it as SEC-ret, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “secret” have?

2: sec · ret. The beat lands on the first, “sec”.

Is “secret” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈsikɹət/ (SEE-kruht); British English says /siːkɹɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “secret” mean?

As a noun: something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on) For example: “the combination to the safe was a secret” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “secret”?

Stress the first syllable: SEC-ret. “sec” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “secret” and see every sound

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