Pronunciation

How to pronounce “stress

“stress” is pronounced /stɹɛs/ (STRES) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “stress” in one beat

Say it like this

stress

/stɹɛs/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. stressstɹɛs
IPA (American)
/stɹɛs/
IPA (British)
/stɹɛs/
Respelling
STRES
Syllables
1 — stress
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /stɹɛs/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Meaning

What “stress” means

  1. noun

    the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch)

    he put the stress on the wrong syllable

  2. noun

    (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense

    he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension

  3. noun

    special emphasis attached to something

    the stress was more on accuracy than on speed

Say it in a sentence

The stress falls on the second syllable of that word.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 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

stress”, answered

How do you pronounce “stress”?

“stress” is pronounced /stɹɛs/ (STRES) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /stɹɛs/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “stress” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /stɹɛs/ — a single beat.

What does “stress” mean?

As a noun: the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch) For example: “he put the stress on the wrong syllable” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “stress”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /stɹɛs/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “stress” 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.