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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “target”

“target” is pronounced /ˈtɑɹɡət/ (TAHR-guht) in American English and /tɑːɡɪt/ in British English, and /ˈtɝɡət/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “tar”.
The sound

Say “target” in 2 beats

Say it like this

target

/ˈtɑɹɡət/

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

2 beats
  1. tartɑɹstress
  2. getɡət
IPA (American)
/ˈtɑɹɡət/
IPA (British)
/tɑːɡɪt/
Also accepted
/ˈtɝɡət/
Respelling
TAHR-guht
Syllables
2 — TAR-get
Stress
Stress the first syllable: TAR-get. “tar” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈtɑɹɡət/

British

/tɑːɡɪt/

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

Meaning

What “target” means

  1. noun

    a reference point to shoot at

    “his arrow hit the mark”

  2. noun

    a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence

    “he fell prey to muggers”

  3. noun

    the location of the target that is to be hit

Say it in a sentence

“The arrow missed the target by a good yard.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 sounds, in the order you say them
tt×2ɑahɹrɡgəschwa

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“target”, answered

How do you pronounce “target”?

“target” is pronounced /ˈtɑɹɡət/ (TAHR-guht) in American English and /tɑːɡɪt/ in British English, and /ˈtɝɡət/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “tar”. Build it as TAR-get, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “target” have?

2: tar · get. The beat lands on the first, “tar”.

Is “target” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈtɑɹɡət/ (TAHR-guht); British English says /tɑːɡɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “target” mean?

As a noun: a reference point to shoot at For example: “his arrow hit the mark” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “target”?

Stress the first syllable: TAR-get. “tar” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “target” 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.

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