How to pronounce “sustain”
Say “sustain” in 2 beats
sustain
/səˈsteɪn/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /səsteɪn/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- sussə
- tainsteɪnstress
- IPA (American)
- /səˈsteɪn/
- IPA (British)
- /səsteɪn/
- Respelling
- suh-STAYN
- Syllables
- 2 — sus-TAIN
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: sus-TAIN. “tain” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- verb
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/səˈsteɪn/
/səsteɪn/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “sustain” means
- verb
lengthen or extend in duration or space
“We sustained the diplomatic negotiations as long as possible”
- verb
undergo (as of injuries and illnesses)
“She suffered a fracture in the accident”
- verb
provide with nourishment
“We sustained ourselves on bread and water”
Say it in a sentence
“The organ can sustain a note far longer than the piano.”“sustain”, answered
How do you pronounce “sustain”?
“sustain” is pronounced /səˈsteɪn/ (suh-STAYN) in American English and /səsteɪn/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “tain”. Build it as sus-TAIN, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “sustain” have?
2: sus · tain. The beat lands on the second, “tain”.
Is “sustain” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /səˈsteɪn/ (suh-STAYN); British English says /səsteɪn/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “sustain” mean?
As a verb: lengthen or extend in duration or space For example: “We sustained the diplomatic negotiations as long as possible” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “sustain”?
Stress the second syllable: sus-TAIN. “tain” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “sustain” 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.