How To Pronounce Surprise

surprise

Phonemic

/səˈpraɪz/

Phonetic

[səʴˈpr̥aɪz]

Phonemic

/sɚˈpraɪz/

In British English, surprise is pronounced /səˈpraɪz/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [səʴˈpr̥aɪz]. In American English, it is pronounced /sɚˈpraɪz/.

Surprise has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

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

səpraɪz

Surprise 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.

surprise + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /ɪz/ after /s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ/.

/səˈpraɪ.zɪz/

/sɚˈpraɪ.zɪz/

surprise + -ed

-ed (past tense or past participle) is /d/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/səˈpraɪzd/

/sɚˈpraɪzd/

surprise + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/səˈpraɪ.zɪŋ/

/sɚˈpraɪ.zɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Surprise

Questions About Surprise

How do you pronounce surprise in British English?

In British English, surprise is pronounced /səˈpraɪz/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [səʴˈpr̥aɪz].

How do you pronounce surprise in American English?

In American English, surprise is pronounced /sɚˈpraɪz/.

How many syllables are in surprise?

Surprise has two syllables, /sə/ + /praɪz/.

Where is the stress in surprise?

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

Do British and American English pronounce surprise the same way?

No. British English has /səˈpraɪz/ and American English has /sɚˈpraɪz/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern oO

Nearby Words

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