How to pronounce regress
Say it like REE-gres. Regress has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (REE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce regress. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- REE
- gres
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Regress pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- REESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- gresKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of regress
American and British speakers say regress in essentially the same way: /ˈriɡrɛs/ in the US and /ˈriːɡrɛs/ in the UK.
British respelling: REE-gres.
Other ways to say regress
Regress also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- rih-GRES /rɪˈɡrɛs/
What does regress mean?
- The act of passing back; passage back; return; retrogression.
- The power or liberty of passing back.
- The right of a person (such as a lessee) to return to a property.
- To move backwards to an earlier stage; to devolve.
- To re-develop behavior one had previously grown out of, particularly a behavior left behind in childhood.“Your nightmares stopped when you were eight years old, but after the house burned down, you regressed.”
- To move in the retrograde direction.
Where does regress come from?
(verb) From Latin regressus, past participle of regredior (“to go back”), from re- (“back”) + gradior (“to go”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying regress
How do you pronounce regress?
Say REE-gres. The American pronunciation is /ˈriɡrɛs/. In British English it is /ˈriːɡrɛs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in regress?
Regress has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (REE). Broken into parts: REE · gres.
Do Americans and Brits say regress the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈriɡrɛs/ and the British form is /ˈriːɡrɛs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.