How to pronounce decade in American English

IPA /ˈdɛkeɪd/ Syllables 2 · deh·kayd Stress 1st syllable

DEH·kayd

Start here

Americans pronounce decade as DEH-kayd (/ˈdɛkeɪd/). Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

Now you try.

Record yourself saying "decade" and play it back. The mic stays on your device — nothing's uploaded.

Ready when you are

Tap the mic to start

Preview your accent profile

Get your accent profile and 5-axes assessment.

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 "decade", 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 DEH — keep everything else short and quick.

Unlock the full report in the app

Why it sounds different

Why "decade" sounds like DEH·kayd.

In "decade", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. This is called the Unreleased Stops, a small move that separates 'classroom' from 'native'. It comes out as DEH·kayd.

In real conversation

Hear "decade" in the wild.

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

"The corporation pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by the decade."

dhuh kor·puh·RAY·shuhn plehjd too uh·CHEEV KAR·buhn noo·TRA·luh·tee bahy dhuh DEH·kayd

"The unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level in a decade."

dhee uhn·uhm·PLOY·muhnt RAYT DRAHPT tuh ihts LOH·uhst LEH·vuhl ihn uh DEH·kayd

"We are gathering to honor his achievements over the past decade."

wee er GA·dher·uhng tuh AH·ner hihz uh·CHEEV·muhnts OH·ver dhuh PAST DEH·kayd

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 "decade", 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.

decade→DEH·kayd

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

deh·KAYD→DEH·kayd

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "decade" stressed in American English?

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

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

Now you try.

Get your accent profile and 5-axes assessment.

Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Why "decade" sounds like DEH·kayd.

Hear "decade" 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 "decade". Start saying it.