Pronunciation

How to pronounce “systems

“systems” is pronounced /ˈsɪstəmz/ (SI-stuhmz) in American English and /sɪstəmz/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “sys”.
The sound

Say “systems” in 2 beats

Say it like this

systems

/ˈsɪstəmz/

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

2 beats
  1. sysstress
  2. temsstəmz
IPA (American)
/ˈsɪstəmz/
IPA (British)
/sɪstəmz/
Respelling
SI-stuhmz
Syllables
2 — SYS-tems
Stress
Stress the first syllable: SYS-tems. “sys” 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

/ˈsɪstəmz/

British

/sɪstəmz/

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

Meaning

What “systems” means

  1. noun

    instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

    he bought a new stereo system

  2. noun

    a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole

    a vast system of production and distribution and consumption keep the country going

  3. noun

    (physical chemistry) a sample of matter in which substances in different phases are in equilibrium

    in a static system oil cannot be replaced by water on a surface

Say it in a sentence

The old heating systems need to be replaced soon.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 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

systems”, answered

How do you pronounce “systems”?

“systems” is pronounced /ˈsɪstəmz/ (SI-stuhmz) in American English and /sɪstəmz/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “sys”. Build it as SYS-tems, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “systems” have?

2: sys · tems. The beat lands on the first, “sys”.

Is “systems” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈsɪstəmz/ (SI-stuhmz); British English says /sɪstəmz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “systems” mean?

As a noun: instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity For example: “he bought a new stereo system” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “systems”?

Stress the first syllable: SYS-tems. “sys” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “systems” 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.