How to pronounce industry in American English
IHN·duh·stree
Start here
Americans pronounce industry as IHN-duh-stree (/ˈɪndəstri/). 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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In real conversation
Hear "industry" in the wild.
Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.
"I am excited to share our vision for the future of this industry."
ahy uhm uhk·SAHY·duhd tuh SHAIR owr VIH·zhuhn fer dhuh FYOO·cher uhv dhihs IHN·duh·stree
"Streaming services have disrupted the traditional entertainment industry."
STREE·muhng SUR·vuh·suhz huhv duhs·RUHP·tuhd dhuh truh·DIH·shuh·nuhl ehn·ter·TAYN·muhnt IHN·duh·stree
"The government announced ambitious sustainability targets for industry."
dhuh GUH·vern·muhnt uh·NOWNST am·BIH·shuhs suh·stay·nuh·BIH·luh·tee TAR·guhts fer IHN·duh·stree
"The research has potential applications in medicine and industry."
dhuh REE·surch huhz puh·TEHN·shuhl a·pluh·KAY·shuhnz ihn MEH·duh·suhn and IHN·duh·stree
Watch out
Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.
The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.
01
Stressing the wrong syllable.
Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch IHN — keep everything else short and quick.
ihn·DUH·STREE→IHN·duh·stree
02
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·DUH·stree→IHN·duh·stree
Questions
Questions people ask about this.
How is "industry" 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-duh-stree" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.
Why does the second syllable in "industry" 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-duh-stree" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.
Is the American pronunciation of "industry" 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-duh-stree" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.