How to pronounce company in American English

IPA /ˈkʌmpəni/ Syllables 3 · kuhm·puh·nee Stress 1st syllable

KUHM·puh·nee

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Americans pronounce company as KUHM-puh-nee (/ˈkʌmpəni/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch KUHM — keep everything else short and quick.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

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Why it sounds different

Why "company" sounds like KUHM·puh·nee.

Between "" and "", a brief "" glide bridges the two vowels for smooth flow. This is called the Vowel-to-Vowel Linking, a tiny act of laziness that makes the rhythm feel right. It comes out as KUHM·puh·nee.

In real conversation

Hear "company" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"He signed a non-disclosure agreement before joining the company."

hee SAHYND uh NAHN duh·SKLOH·zher uh·GREE·muhnt buh·FOR JOY·nuhng dhuh KUHM·puh·nee

"He sued the company for violation of his civil rights."

hee SOOD dhuh KUHM·puh·nee fer vahy·uh·LAY·shuhn uhv hihz SIH·vuhl RAHYTS

"I encourage you to seek out mentorship opportunities within the company."

ahy uhn·KUR·ihj yoo tuh SEEK OWT MEHN·ter·shihp ah·per·TOO·nuh·teez wih·DHIHN dhuh KUHM·puh·nee

"I was surprised to hear about the changes at your company."

ahy wuhz ser·PRAHYZD tuh HEER uh·BOWT dhuh CHAYN·juhz uht yer KUHM·puh·nee

"Let me highlight the main benefits of partnering with our company."

LEHT mee HAHY·lahyt dhuh MAYN BEH·nuh·fuhts uhv PART·ner·uhng wihth ar KUHM·puh·nee

"Our company has a budget for lunch."

OWR KUHM·puh·nee huhz uh BUH·juht fer LUHNCH

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch KUHM — keep everything else short and quick.

kuhm·PUH·NEE→KUHM·puh·nee

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

KUHM·PUH·nee→KUHM·puh·nee

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "company" stressed in American English?

Stress falls on the first syllable — say "KUHM" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "KUHM-puh-nee" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.

Why does the second syllable in "company" reduce to "uh"?

Unstressed syllables in American English collapse toward a schwa — a lazy, neutral "uh" sound. The full vowel is what textbooks teach, but in actual American speech every unstressed vowel reduces. The respell "KUHM-puh-nee" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

Is the American pronunciation of "company" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "KUHM-puh-nee" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Why "company" sounds like KUHM·puh·nee.

Hear "company" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

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