How to pronounce “surface”
Say “surface” in 2 beats
surface
/ˈsɝfəs/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /sɜːfɪs/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- sɝsɝstress
- fəsfəs
- IPA (American)
- /ˈsɝfəs/
- IPA (British)
- /sɜːfɪs/
- Respelling
- SUR-fuhs
- Syllables
- 2 — Sɝ-fəs
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: Sɝ-fəs. “sɝ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb, adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈsɝfəs/
/sɜːfɪs/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “surface” means
- noun
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
“there is a special cleaner for these surfaces”
- noun
the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object
“they skimmed over the surface of the water”
- noun
the outermost level of the land or sea
“earthquakes originate far below the surface”
Say it in a sentence
“The pond's surface froze solid during the cold snap.”“surface”, answered
How do you pronounce “surface”?
“surface” is pronounced /ˈsɝfəs/ (SUR-fuhs) in American English and /sɜːfɪs/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “sɝ”. Build it as Sɝ-fəs, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “surface” have?
2: sɝ · fəs. The beat lands on the first, “sɝ”.
Is “surface” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈsɝfəs/ (SUR-fuhs); British English says /sɜːfɪs/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “surface” mean?
As a noun: the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary For example: “there is a special cleaner for these surfaces” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “surface”?
Stress the first syllable: Sɝ-fəs. “sɝ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “surface” 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.