How to pronounce income in American English

IPA /ˈɪnˌkʌm/ Syllables 2 · ihn·kuhm Stress 1st syllable

IHN·kuhm

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Americans pronounce income as IHN-kuhm (/ˈɪnˌkʌm/). 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%

Overall assessment

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch IHN — 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 "income" sounds like IHN·KUHM.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, a connected-speech trick that makes phrases flow. It comes out as IHN·KUHM.

In real conversation

Hear "income" in the wild.

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

"I created a monthly budget to track my income and expenses carefully."

ahy kree·AY·duhd uh MUHNTH·lee BUH·juht tuh TRAK mahy IHN·kuhm and uhk·SPEHN·suhz KAIR·fuh·lee

"Income inequality has widened considerably over the past decades."

IHN·kuhm uhn·uh·KWAH·luh·dee huhz WAHY·duhnd kuhn·SIH·der·uh·blee OH·ver dhuh PAST DEH·kaydz

"The survey asks about your age, your occupation, and your income."

dhuh SUR·vay ASKS uh·BOWT yer AYJ yer ahk·yuh·PAY·shuhn and yer IHN·kuhm

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 IHN — keep everything else short and quick.

ihn·KUHM→IHN·KUHM

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.

IHN·KUHM→IHN·KUHM

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "income" stressed in American English?

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

Why does the second syllable in "income" 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 "IHN-kuhm" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

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

Now you try.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Why "income" sounds like IHN·KUHM.

Hear "income" 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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