How to pronounce recipe in American English

IPA /ˈrɛsəpi/ Syllables 3 · reh·suh·pee Stress 1st syllable

REH·suh·pee

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Americans pronounce recipe as REH-suh-pee (/ˈrɛsəpi/). 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%

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch REH — 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 "recipe" sounds like REH·suh·pee.

Between "" and "", a brief "" glide bridges the two vowels for smooth flow. This is called the Vowel-to-Vowel Linking, a tiny act of laziness that makes the rhythm feel right. It comes out as REH·suh·pee.

In real conversation

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

"For the recipe, you'll need flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla."

fer dhuh REH·suh·pee yool NEED FLOW·er SHUU·ger BUH·der and vuh·NIH·luh

"Several guests recommended the lemon zest recipe."

SEH·ver·uhl GEHSTS reh·kuh·MEHN·duhd dhuh LEH·muhn ZEHST REH·suh·pee

"She followed her grandmother's recipe exactly without making any changes."

shee FAH·lohd her GRAN·muh·dherz REH·suh·pee ihg·ZAKT·lee wih·DHOWT MAY·kuhng EH·nee CHAYN·juhz

"The butcher recommended this cut of meat for the recipe."

dhuh BUU·cher reh·kuh·MEHN·duhd dhihs KUHT uhv meet fer dhuh REH·suh·pee

"The recipe calls for two cups of flour and one edible flower."

dhuh REH·suh·pee KAHLZ fer TOO KUHPS uhv FLOW·er uhnd wuhn EH·duh·buhl FLOW·er

"The recipe calls for two tablespoons of olive oil and minced garlic."

dhuh REH·suh·pee KAHLZ fer TOO TAY·buhl·spoonz uhv AH·luhv OYL and MIHNST GAR·luhk

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 REH — keep everything else short and quick.

reh·SUH·PEE→REH·suh·pee

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.

REH·SUH·pee→REH·suh·pee

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "recipe" stressed in American English?

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

Why does the second syllable in "recipe" 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 "REH-suh-pee" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

Is the American pronunciation of "recipe" 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 "REH-suh-pee" 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 "recipe" sounds like REH·suh·pee.

Hear "recipe" 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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