How to pronounce expressive
Say it like ik-SPRES-iv. Expressive has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPRES).
- ik
- SPRES
- iv
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Expressive 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.
- SPRESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- ivKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of expressive
American and British speakers say expressive in essentially the same way: /ɪkˈsprɛsɪv/ in the US and /ɪkˈsprɛsɪv/ in the UK.
British respelling: ik-SPRES-iv.
What does expressive mean?
- Effectively conveying thought or feeling.“expressive dancing”
- Conveying the speaker's emotions and/or attitudes, in addition to the denotative or literal meaning.
- Able to represent a number of ideas or concepts.“A programming language that is Turing complete is more expressive than one that is not.”
- Any word or phrase that expresses (that the speaker, writer, or signer has) a certain attitude toward or information about the referent.
- A word or phrase, belonging to a distinct word class or having distinct morphosyntactic properties, with semantic symbolism (for example, an onomatopoeia), variously considered either a synonym, a hypernym or a hyponym of ideophone.
Where does expressive come from?
From Middle French expressif.
Words that rhyme with expressive
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of expressive.
Questions about saying expressive
How do you pronounce expressive?
Say ik-SPRES-iv. The American pronunciation is /ɪkˈsprɛsɪv/. In British English it is /ɪkˈsprɛsɪv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in expressive?
Expressive has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPRES). Broken into parts: ik · SPRES · iv.
Do Americans and Brits say expressive the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɪkˈsprɛsɪv/ and the British form is /ɪkˈsprɛsɪv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.