How to pronounce compound in American English

IPA /ˈkɑmpaʊnd/ Syllables 2 · kahm·pownd Stress 1st syllable

KAHM·pownd

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Americans pronounce compound as KAHM-pownd (/ˈkɑmpaʊnd/). 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%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "compound", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. Air stops but there's no release burst — the articulators hold position.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

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Why it sounds different

Why "compound" sounds like KAHM·pownd.

In "compound", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. This is called the Unreleased Stops, and it's one of the defining features of casual American English. It comes out as KAHM·pownd.

In real conversation

Hear "compound" in the wild.

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

"He patched the holes in the wall with spackling compound."

hee PACHT dhuh HOHLZ ihn dhuh WAHL wihth SPA·kuh·luhng KAHM·pownd

"He synthesized a new compound in the organic chemistry lab."

hee SIHN·thuh·sahyzd uh noo KAHM·pownd ihn dhee or·GA·nuhk CHEH·muh·stree LAB

"She learned about compound interest and started investing early."

shee LURND uh·BOWT KAHM·pownd IHN·truhst and STAR·duhd ihn·VEH·stuhng UR·lee

"The compound interest helped grow my investments significantly over time."

dhuh KAHM·pownd IHN·truhst HEHLPT GROH mahy ihn·VEHST·muhnts suhg·NIH·fuh·kuhnt·lee OH·ver TAHYM

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

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

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "compound", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. Air stops but there's no release burst — the articulators hold position.

compound→KAHM·pownd

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

kahm·POWND→KAHM·pownd

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "compound" stressed in American English?

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

Is the American pronunciation of "compound" 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 "KAHM-pownd" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Why "compound" sounds like KAHM·pownd.

Hear "compound" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Questions people ask about this.

Stop reading about "compound". Start saying it.