How to pronounce reproduction in American English

IPA /ˌriprəˈdʌkʃən/ Syllables 4 · ree·pruh·duhk·shuhn Stress 3rd syllable

ree·pruh·DUHK·shuhn

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Americans pronounce reproduction as ree-pruh-DUHK-shuhn (/ˌriprəˈdʌkʃən/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the third syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Sounds

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Clarity

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Stress

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Intonation

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Fluency

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "reproduction", 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.

Inserting a vowel before the syllabic consonant.

In "reproduction", the short unstressed vowel before "" disappears — the schwa is absorbed and the "" becomes the syllable nucleus on its own. Schwa is absorbed — consonant becomes the syllable nucleus.

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Why it sounds different

Why "reproduction" sounds like REE·pruh·DUHK·shuhn.

In "reproduction", 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 REE·pruh·DUHK·shuhn.

In real conversation

Hear "reproduction" in the wild.

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

"Natural selection favors traits that improve survival and reproduction."

NA·cher·uhl suh·LEHK·shuhn FAY·verz TRAYTS dhuht uhm·PROOV ser·VAHY·vuhl and ree·pruh·DUHK·shuhn

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 "reproduction", 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.

reproduction→REE·pruh·DUHK·shuhn

Inserting a vowel before the syllabic consonant.

reproduction→REE·pruh·DUHK·shuhn

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

REE·PRUH·duhk·SHUHN→REE·pruh·DUHK·shuhn

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.

ree·PRUH·DUHK·shuhn→REE·pruh·DUHK·shuhn

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "reproduction" stressed in American English?

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

Why does the second syllable in "reproduction" 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 "ree-pruh-DUHK-shuhn" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

Is the American pronunciation of "reproduction" 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 "ree-pruh-DUHK-shuhn" 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.

Inserting a vowel before the syllabic consonant.

Why "reproduction" sounds like REE·pruh·DUHK·shuhn.

Hear "reproduction" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Inserting a vowel before the syllabic consonant.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

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