How to pronounce “activity”
Activity is pronounced /ækˈtɪvətiː/. It has 4 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — tɪ. 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 4 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 tɪ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oOoo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “activity”
✗ Often said: /ˈæktɪvɪtiː/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ækˈtɪvətiː/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the second syllable (“tɪ”), 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 “activity” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“activity” sound by sound
“activity” is built out of 8 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.
-
æDrop the jaw noticeably, push the front of the tongue low and forward, and spread the lips — it is a flat, bright, fairly long American vowel.
-
kRaise the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate, seal the air, then release it with a puff.
-
tTouch the tongue tip to the bumpy ridge just behind the upper teeth, block the air, then release it with a puff.
-
ɪRelax the tongue slightly lower and further back than for /iː/, keep the lips neutral, and make it short and lax.
-
vUpper teeth on the lower lip, push air through the gap, and add voicing so the lip buzzes.
-
əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
-
tTouch the tongue tip to the bumpy ridge just behind the upper teeth, block the air, then release it with a puff.
-
iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
Words that rhyme with “activity”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “activity”
- How do you pronounce “activity”?
- “activity” is pronounced /ækˈtɪvətiː/, with the stress on the second syllable (tɪ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “activity”?
- “activity” has 4 syllables: æk · tɪ · və · tiː. The stress pattern is oOoo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “activity”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈæktɪvɪtiː/, but it is actually /ækˈtɪvətiː/, because the stress lands on the second syllable (“tɪ”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes.
Stop looking words up one at a time
You just looked up one word. PHONO puts the IPA above every word of whatever you are reading — in your browser, in a PDF, in any app — the moment you select it. An offline pronunciation dictionary, US and UK audio, one hotkey.