How to pronounce stressed
Say it like STREST. Stressed 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 stressed. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- STREST
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Stressed pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- STRESTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of stressed
American and British speakers say stressed in essentially the same way: /strɛst/ in the US and /strɛst/ in the UK.
British respelling: STREST.
What does stressed mean?
- suffering severe physical strain or distress“he dropped out of the race, clearly distressed and having difficulty breathing”
- bearing a stress or accent“an iambic foot consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable as in `delay'”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with stressed
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of stressed.
Questions about saying stressed
How do you pronounce stressed?
Say STREST. The American pronunciation is /strɛst/. In British English it is /strɛst/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in stressed?
Stressed is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: STREST.
Do Americans and Brits say stressed the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /strɛst/ and the British form is /strɛst/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.