How to pronounce expensive
Say it like ik-SPEN-siv. Expensive has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce expensive. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ik
- SPEN
- siv
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Expensive pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ikKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- SPENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- sivKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of expensive
American and British speakers say expensive in essentially the same way: /ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/ in the US and /ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/ in the UK.
British respelling: ik-SPEN-siv.
What does expensive mean?
- high in price or charging high prices“expensive clothes”“an expensive shop”
Where does expensive come from?
From Latin *expēnsīvus, from expendō (“to weigh out (money), to pay out”) (whence English expend).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with expensive
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of expensive.
Questions about saying expensive
How do you pronounce expensive?
Say ik-SPEN-siv. The American pronunciation is /ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/. In British English it is /ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in expensive?
Expensive has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPEN). Broken into parts: ik · SPEN · siv.
Do Americans and Brits say expensive the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/ and the British form is /ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.