How to pronounce remove in American English

IPA /rəˈmuv/ Syllables 2 · ruh·moov Stress 2nd syllable
ruh·MOOV
Start here

Americans pronounce remove as ruh-MOOV (/rəˈmuv/). 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.

Now you try.

Record yourself saying "remove" and play it back. The mic stays on your device — nothing's uploaded.

Ready when you are
Tap the mic to start
Preview your accent profile

Get your accent profile and 5-axes assessment.

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

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

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.

Unlock the full report in the app
In real conversation

Hear "remove" in the wild.

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

"He participated in a beach cleanup to remove litter."
hee per·TIH·suh·pay·duhd ihn uh BEECH KLEEN·uhp tuh ruh·MOOV LIH·der
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 second syllable, not the others. Stretch MOOV — keep everything else short and quick.

RUH·moovruh·MOOV
02

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·MOOVruh·MOOV
Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "remove" stressed in American English?
Stress falls on the second syllable — say "MOOV" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "ruh-MOOV" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.
Why does the first syllable in "remove" 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-MOOV" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.
Is the American pronunciation of "remove" 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-MOOV" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

Stop reading about "remove". Start saying it.

SayWaader is the AI pronunciation coach for American English. Practice 5 minutes a day. Get a 5-axes accent assessment. Sound like you live here.