How to pronounce “update”
“update” is said two ways
/ˈʌpˌdeɪt/
UP-dayt
The newer version or the news itself. Beat on UP.
/əpˈdeɪt/
up-DAYT
To bring something up to date. Beat on DAYT.
Listen for the beat, not the letters
One syllable gets longer, louder and a step higher, and the other one collapses towards a schwa. Say the whole sentence rather than the word on its own and let the grammar pull the beat where it belongs.Both forms live in one sentence here: “Update the app tonight, because the update closes the security hole.”Each button plays a short phrase rather than the bare word: the model voice takes its stress from the words around it, so asking it for “update” on its own would play one reading twice instead of the noun and the verb. Read the transcription as you listen.
Say “update” in 2 beats
update
/ˈʌpˌdeɪt/
Everything in this card describes the noun form. As a verb it is /əpˈdeɪt/.
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈʌpdeɪt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- ʌpʌpstress
- deɪtdeɪt
- IPA (American)
- /ˈʌpˌdeɪt/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈʌpdeɪt/
- Respelling
- UP-dayt (noun) · up-DAYT (verb)
- Syllables
- 2 — ɅP-deɪt
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: ɅP-deɪt. “ʌp” 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
American and British are not the same here
This is the noun form in two accents — a separate question from the two pronunciations above, which are the same accent saying two different words.
/ˈʌpˌdeɪt/
/ˈʌpdeɪt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “update” goes wrong
- Often heard
“install the up-DAYT”
the thing you install is UP-dayt; up-DAYT is the act
What “update” means
- noun
news that updates your information
- verb
modernize or bring up to date
“We updated the kitchen in the old house”
- verb
bring up to date; supply with recent information
Say it in a sentence
“Update the app tonight, because the update closes the security hole.”“update”, answered
How do you pronounce “update”?
“update” has two pronunciations: /ˈʌpˌdeɪt/ as a noun and /əpˈdeɪt/ as a verb — the part of speech decides which. The spelling never changes; the beat does, and the vowels reshape around wherever it lands. The transcription and syllable breakdown below describe the noun form. Build it as ɅP-deɪt, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “update” have?
2: ʌp · deɪt. The beat lands on the first, “ʌp”.
Which pronunciation of “update” is correct?
Both are. /ˈʌpˌdeɪt/ (UP-dayt) as a noun; /əpˈdeɪt/ (up-DAYT) as a verb. Nothing about the spelling tells you which — the sentence does. Move the beat and the word changes its job mid-sentence, which is why both are worth drilling. Both appear here: “Update the app tonight, because the update closes the security hole.”
Is “update” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈʌpˌdeɪt/ (UP-dayt); British English says /ˈʌpdeɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “update” mean?
As a noun: news that updates your information For example: “Update the app tonight, because the update closes the security hole.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “update”?
Stress the first syllable: ɅP-deɪt. “ʌp” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “update” 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.