How to pronounce increase
Say it like IN-krees. Increase has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (IN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce increase. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- IN
- krees
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Increase pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- INSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- kreesGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of increase
American and British speakers say increase in essentially the same way: /ˈɪnˌkris/ in the US and /ˈɪnˌkriːs/ in the UK.
British respelling: IN-krees.
Other ways to say increase
Increase also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- in-KREES /ˌɪnˈkris/
What does increase mean?
- a quantity that is added“there was an addition to property taxes this year”“they recorded the cattle's gain in weight over a period of weeks”
- a change resulting in an increase“the increase is scheduled for next month”
- a process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous or more important“the increase in unemployment”“the growth of population”
- become bigger or greater in amount“The amount of work increased”
- make bigger or more“The boss finally increased her salary”“The university increased the number of students it admitted”
Where does increase come from?
The noun is from Middle English encres, from the verb.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying increase
How do you pronounce increase?
Say IN-krees. The American pronunciation is /ˈɪnˌkris/. In British English it is /ˈɪnˌkriːs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in increase?
Increase has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (IN). Broken into parts: IN · krees.
Do Americans and Brits say increase the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈɪnˌkris/ and the British form is /ˈɪnˌkriːs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.