k/k/
Raise the back of your tongue to touch the soft palate (velum). Stop the air, then release.
How to pronounce counterattacks in American English
kown·ter·uh·TAKS
Start here
Americans pronounce counterattacks as kown-ter-uh-TAKS (/ˌkaʊntərəˈtæks/). In "counterattacks", the "t" right after N is dropped — the tongue skips the T stop and moves directly from the N position to the next sound. This is called the Silent T after N, the kind of sound shift that makes everyday speech feel effortless. It comes out as KOWN·ter·uh·TAKS. Stress falls on the fourth syllable — keep everything else short and quick. You'll hear it in sentences like "The strategy relies on quick counterattacks and strong defense".
Now you try.
Record yourself saying "counterattacks" and play it back. The mic stays on your device — nothing's uploaded.
Sound by sound
Every sound in "counterattacks".
4 syllables, 10 sounds. Tap a syllable to jump to its row, then explore each sound's mouth shape and how it's made.
ow/aʊ/
Start with a dropped jaw and flat tongue. Glide into a relaxed, slightly rounded lip position as the back of the tongue stretches up.
n/n/
Touch the tip or front edge of your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind your teeth. Air flows through your nose.
t/t/
DroppedThe T is skipped entirely. Your tongue doesn't make contact at the T position.
er/ər/
Relax your mouth and lift the tongue back and up. Keep the lips neutral.
uh/ʌ/
Relax your lips, jaw, and tongue completely. Drop your jaw slightly and keep the tongue neutral.
t/t/
Touch the tip or front edge of your tongue to the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. Keep your jaw relaxed. Stop the air, then release with a puff.
a/æ/
Drop the jaw noticeably. Keep the body of the tongue low and forward, and don't let the back of the tongue raise toward the soft palate. Pull the lip corners back slightly, almost a starting smile.
k/k/
Raise the back of your tongue to touch the soft palate (velum). Stop the air, then release.
s/s/
Place your tongue tip near the roof of your mouth behind your top teeth. Push air through the narrow gap. No voicing.
Find another
Looking for a different word or sentence?
Search the entire library
/
Press / anywhere to focus the search box.
Watch out
Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.
The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.
01
Pronouncing the silent T after N.
In "counterattacks", the "t" right after N is dropped — the tongue skips the T stop and moves directly from the N position to the next sound. /t/ is completely silent — the tongue skips the T stop and moves directly from the N position to the next sound.
counterattacks→KOWN·ter·uh·TAKS
02
Stressing the wrong syllable.
Stress falls on the fourth syllable, not the others. Stretch TAKS — keep everything else short and quick.
KOWN·TER·UH·taks→KOWN·ter·uh·TAKS
03
Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.
Don't pronounce the second syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.
kown·ter·UH·TAKS→KOWN·ter·uh·TAKS
04
Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.
Americans use a relaxed retroflex R — the tongue curls back rather than rolling. The R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it, not two separate sounds.
… (no R)→… r (curl the tongue)
Questions
Questions people ask about this.
How is "counterattacks" stressed in American English?
Stress falls on the fourth syllable — say "TAKS" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "kown-ter-uh-TAKS" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.
Why does the third syllable in "counterattacks" 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 "kown-ter-uh-TAKS" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.
How do I pronounce the R in "counterattacks"?
Americans use a relaxed retroflex R: the tongue curls back rather than rolling, and the R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it — not two separate sounds. Don't try to pronounce a separate vowel followed by a separate R. Treat them as a single shape.
Is the American pronunciation of "counterattacks" 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 "kown-ter-uh-TAKS" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.
Stop reading about "counterattacks". Start saying it.
SayWaader is the AI pronunciation coach for American English. Practice 5 minutes a day. Get a 5-axes accent assessment. Sound like you live here.