How To Pronounce Retreat

retreat

Phonemic

/rɪˈtriːt/

Phonetic

[rɪˈtr̥iːt̚]

Phonemic

/rɪˈtriːt/

In British English, retreat is pronounced /rɪˈtriːt/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [rɪˈtr̥iːt̚]. In American English, it is pronounced /rɪˈtriːt/.

Retreat has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second syllable. British and American speakers say it the same way.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

rɪtriːt

Retreat has two syllables in British English, and the main stress is on the second syllable, shown in colour above. Its stress pattern is oO, where O is the stressed syllable.

retreat + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /s/ after a voiceless consonant.

/rɪˈtriːts/

retreat + -ed

-ed (past tense or past participle) is /ɪd/ after /t/ or /d/.

/rɪˈtriː.tɪd/

/rɪˈtriː.t̯ɪd/

retreat + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/rɪˈtriː.tɪŋ/

/rɪˈtriː.t̯ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Retreat

Questions About Retreat

How do you pronounce retreat in British English?

In British English, retreat is pronounced /rɪˈtriːt/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [rɪˈtr̥iːt̚].

How do you pronounce retreat in American English?

In American English, retreat is pronounced /rɪˈtriːt/.

How many syllables are in retreat?

Retreat has two syllables, /rɪ/ + /triːt/.

Where is the stress in retreat?

The main stress is on the second syllable, /triːt/.

Do British and American English pronounce retreat the same way?

Yes. Both are /rɪˈtriːt/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern oO

Nearby Words

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