Pronunciation

How to pronounce “summary

“summary” is pronounced /ˈsʌmɚi/ (SU-muh-ee) in American English and /sʌməɹi/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “sum”.
The sound

Say “summary” in 3 beats

Say it like this

summary

/ˈsʌmɚi/

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

3 beats
  1. sumstress
  2. mar
  3. yi
IPA (American)
/ˈsʌmɚi/
IPA (British)
/sʌməɹi/
Respelling
SU-muh-ee
Syllables
3 — SUM-mar-y
Stress
Stress the first syllable: SUM-mar-y. “sum” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈsʌmɚi/

British

/sʌməɹi/

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

Meaning

What “summary” means

  1. noun

    a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form

    he gave a summary of the conclusions

  2. adjective

    performed speedily and without formality

    a summary execution

  3. adjective

    briefly giving the gist of something

    a short and compendious book

Say it in a sentence

Write a short summary at the top of every long email.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

summary”, answered

How do you pronounce “summary”?

“summary” is pronounced /ˈsʌmɚi/ (SU-muh-ee) in American English and /sʌməɹi/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “sum”. Build it as SUM-mar-y, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “summary” have?

3: sum · mar · y. The beat lands on the first, “sum”.

Is “summary” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈsʌmɚi/ (SU-muh-ee); British English says /sʌməɹi/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “summary” mean?

As a noun: a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form For example: “he gave a summary of the conclusions” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “summary”?

Stress the first syllable: SUM-mar-y. “sum” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “summary” 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.