Pronunciation

How to pronounce “success

“success” is pronounced /səkˈsɛs/ (suhk-SES) in American English and /səksɛs/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “cess”.
The sound

Say “success” in 2 beats

Say it like this

success

/səkˈsɛs/

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

2 beats
  1. sucsək
  2. cesssɛsstress
IPA (American)
/səkˈsɛs/
IPA (British)
/səksɛs/
Respelling
suhk-SES
Syllables
2 — suc-CESS
Stress
Stress the second syllable: suc-CESS. “cess” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/səkˈsɛs/

British

/səksɛs/

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

Meaning

What “success” means

  1. noun

    an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

    let's call heads a success and tails a failure

  2. noun

    an attainment that is successful

    his success in the marathon was unexpected

  3. noun

    a state of prosperity or fame

    he is enjoying great success

Say it in a sentence

The bakery's quick success surprised even its own owners.
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

success”, answered

How do you pronounce “success”?

“success” is pronounced /səkˈsɛs/ (suhk-SES) in American English and /səksɛs/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “cess”. Build it as suc-CESS, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “success” have?

2: suc · cess. The beat lands on the second, “cess”.

Is “success” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /səkˈsɛs/ (suhk-SES); British English says /səksɛs/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “success” mean?

As a noun: an event that accomplishes its intended purpose For example: “let's call heads a success and tails a failure” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “success”?

Stress the second syllable: suc-CESS. “cess” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “success” 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.