How to pronounce explain in American English

IPA /əkˈspleɪn/ Syllables 2 · uhk·splayn Stress 2nd syllable

uhk·SPLAYN

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Americans pronounce explain as uhk-SPLAYN (/əkˈspleɪn/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the second syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

Pronouncing the first 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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In real conversation

Hear "explain" in the wild.

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

"Could you please explain that again?"

kuud yuh PLEEZ uhk·SPLAYN dhat uh·GEHN

"Explain the nature of the chaotic state agency."

uhk·SPLAYN dhuh NAY·cher uhv dhuh kay·AH·duhk STAYT AY·juhn·see

"He tried to explain the complex problem."

hee TRAHYD tuh uhk·SPLAYN dhuh KAHM·plehks PRAH·bluhm

"She asked the teaching assistant to explain the grading scale."

shee ASKT dhuh TEE·chuhng uh·SIH·stuhnt tuh uhk·SPLAYN dhuh GRAY·duhng SKAYL

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 second syllable, not the others. Stretch SPLAYN — keep everything else short and quick.

UHK·splayn→uhk·SPLAYN

Pronouncing the first 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.

UHK·SPLAYN→uhk·SPLAYN

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "explain" stressed in American English?

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

Why does the first syllable in "explain" 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 "uhk-SPLAYN" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

Is the American pronunciation of "explain" 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 "uhk-SPLAYN" 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

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Hear "explain" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

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