How to pronounce record in American English

IPA /rəˈkɔrd/ Syllables 2 · ruh·kord Stress 2nd syllable

ruh·KORD

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Americans pronounce record as ruh-KORD (/rəˈkɔrd/). 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

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "record", 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 KORD — keep everything else short and quick.

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Why it sounds different

Why "record" sounds like ruh·KORD.

In "record", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. This is called the Unreleased Stops, a hallmark of natural-sounding American speech. It comes out as ruh·KORD.

In real conversation

Hear "record" in the wild.

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

"He broke his own personal record in the hundred-meter sprint."

hee BROHK hihz ohn PUR·suh·nuhl REH·kerd ihn dhuh HUHN·druhd MEE·der SPRIHNT

"He has a criminal record that dates back several years."

hee huhz uh KRIH·muh·nuhl REH·kerd dhuht DAYTS BAK SEHV·ruhl YEERZ

"He keeps a notebook to record his observations of plant growth."

hee KEEPS uh NOHT·buuk tuh REH·kerd hihz ahb·zer·VAY·shuhnz uhv PLANT GROHTH

"I bought a classic vinyl record at the music store."

ahy BAHT uh KLA·suhk VAHY·nuhl REH·kerd uht dhuh MYOO·zuhk STOR

"She received a full scholarship for her outstanding academic record."

shee ruh·SEEVD uh FUUL SKAH·ler·shihp fer her owt·STAN·duhng a·kuh·DEH·muhk REH·kerd

"The painting was auctioned for a record-breaking sum."

dhuh PAYN·tuhng wuhz AHK·shuhnd fer uh REH·kerd BRAY·kuhng SUHM

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 "record", 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.

record→ruh·KORD

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

RUH·kord→ruh·KORD

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.

RUH·KORD→ruh·KORD

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Americans use a relaxed retroflex R — the tongue curls back rather than rolling. The R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it, not two separate sounds.

… (no R)→… r (curl the tongue)

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "record" stressed in American English?

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

Why does the first syllable in "record" 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 "ruh-KORD" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

How do I pronounce the R in "record"?

Americans use a relaxed retroflex R: the tongue curls back rather than rolling, and the R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it — not two separate sounds. Don't try to pronounce a separate vowel followed by a separate R. Treat them as a single shape.

Is the American pronunciation of "record" 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 "ruh-KORD" 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

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Why "record" sounds like ruh·KORD.

Hear "record" 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.

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Questions people ask about this.

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