How to pronounce object in American English

IPA /əbˈdʒɛkt/ Syllables 2 · uhb·jehkt Stress 2nd syllable

uhb·JEHKT

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Americans pronounce object as uhb-JEHKT (/əbˈdʒɛkt/). 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%

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "object", 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 second syllable, not the others. Stretch JEHKT — keep everything else short and quick.

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Why it sounds different

Why "object" sounds like uhb·JEHKT.

In "object", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. This is called the Unreleased Stops, and it's one of the defining features of casual American English. It comes out as uhb·JEHKT.

In real conversation

Hear "object" in the wild.

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

"Friction is the resistance that one surface or object encounters."

FRIHK·shuhn ihz dhuh ruh·ZIH·stuhns dhuht wuhn SUR·fuhs or AHB·jehkt uhn·KOWN·terz

"I strongly object to that statement."

ahy STRAHNG·lee uhb·JEHKT tuh dhat STAYT·muhnt

"He calculated the velocity and acceleration of the moving object."

hee KAL·kyuh·lay·duhd dhuh vuh·LAH·suh·tee and uhk·seh·luh·RAY·shuhn uhv dhuh MOO·vuhng AHB·jehkt

"What is that strange object on the table?"

WUHT ihz DHAT STRAYNJ AHB·jehkt ahn dhuh TAY·buhl

"The density of the object determines if it will float or sink."

dhuh DEHN·suh·tee uhv dhee AHB·jehkt duh·TUR·muhnz ihf iht wihl FLOHT or SIHNGK

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 "object", 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.

object→uhb·JEHKT

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

UHB·jehkt→uhb·JEHKT

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.

UHB·JEHKT→uhb·JEHKT

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "object" stressed in American English?

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

Why does the first syllable in "object" 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 "uhb-JEHKT" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

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

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Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Why "object" sounds like uhb·JEHKT.

Hear "object" 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.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

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