How to pronounce stress
Say it like STRES. Stress is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce stress. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- STRES
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Stress pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- STRESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of stress
American and British speakers say stress in essentially the same way: /strɛs/ in the US and /strɛs/ in the UK.
British respelling: STRES.
What does stress mean?
- the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch)“he put the stress on the wrong syllable”
- (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense“he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension”“stress is a vasoconstrictor”
- special emphasis attached to something“the stress was more on accuracy than on speed”
- to stress, single out as important“Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet”
- put stress on; utter with an accent“In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word”
- test the limits of“You are trying my patience!”
Where does stress come from?
In the sense of "mental strain" or “disruption”, used occasionally in the 1920s and 1930s by psychologists, including Walter Cannon (1934); in “biological threat”, used by endocrinologist Hans Selye, by metaphor with stress in physics (forc
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with stress
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of stress.
Questions about saying stress
How do you pronounce stress?
Say STRES. The American pronunciation is /strɛs/. In British English it is /strɛs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in stress?
Stress is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: STRES.
Do Americans and Brits say stress the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /strɛs/ and the British form is /strɛs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.