How to pronounce reviews in American English

IPA /rəˈvjuz/ Syllables 2 · ruh·vyooz Stress 2nd syllable

ruh·VYOOZ

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Americans pronounce reviews as ruh-VYOOZ (/rəˈvjuz/). 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

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the second syllable, not the others. Stretch VYOOZ — 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.

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In real conversation

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"Apparently, the new restaurant downtown has received excellent reviews."

uh·PEH·ruhnt·lee dhuh noo REH·stuh·rahnt down·TOWN huhz ruh·SEEVD EHK·suh·luhnt ruh·VYOOZ

"He writes book reviews for a local literary magazine."

hee RAHYTS BUUK ruh·VYOOZ fer uh LOH·kuhl LIH·duh·rair·ee ma·guh·ZEEN

"I usually read the reviews before deciding which movie to watch."

ahy YOO·zhoo·uh·lee reed dhuh ruh·VYOOZ buh·FOR duh·SAHY·duhng wihch MOO·vee tuh WAHCH

"This new restaurant has amazing reviews."

dhihs noo REH·stuh·rahnt huhz uh·MAY·zuhng ruh·VYOOZ

"The movie received rave reviews for its stunning visual effects."

dhuh MOO·vee ruh·SEEVD RAYV ruh·VYOOZ fer ihts STUH·nuhng VIH·zhoo·uhl uh·FEHKTS

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 second syllable, not the others. Stretch VYOOZ — keep everything else short and quick.

RUH·vyooz→ruh·VYOOZ

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·VYOOZ→ruh·VYOOZ

Questions

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How is "reviews" stressed in American English?

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

Why does the first syllable in "reviews" 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-VYOOZ" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

Is the American pronunciation of "reviews" 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-VYOOZ" 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

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Hear "reviews" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

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