How to pronounce “account”
Account is pronounced /əˈkaʊnt/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — kaʊnt. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 2 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting kaʊnt in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oO — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “account”
✗ Often said: /ˈækaʊnt/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /əˈkaʊnt/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the second syllable (“kaʊnt”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes; also, the unstressed vowels flatten all the way down to /ə/ — English swallows them, so they never sound the way they are written.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “account” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“account” sound by sound
“account” is built out of 5 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
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kRaise the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate, seal the air, then release it with a puff.
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aʊStart with the mouth wide open at /a/ and glide back and up toward /ʊ/, rounding the lips as the jaw closes.
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nTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth, lower the soft palate, and voice the air out through the nose.
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tTouch the tongue tip to the bumpy ridge just behind the upper teeth, block the air, then release it with a puff.
Words that rhyme with “account”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “account”
Each of these differs from “account” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “account”
- How do you pronounce “account”?
- “account” is pronounced /əˈkaʊnt/, with the stress on the second syllable (kaʊnt). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “account”?
- “account” has 2 syllables: ə · kaʊnt. The stress pattern is oO.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “account”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈækaʊnt/, but it is actually /əˈkaʊnt/, because the stress lands on the second syllable (“kaʊnt”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes.
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