How to pronounce “exterior”
Exterior is pronounced /ɪkˈstɪriːər/. It has 4 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — stɪ. 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 stɪ 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 “exterior”
✗ Often said: /ˈekstərɪɔːr/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ɪkˈstɪriːər/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the second syllable (“stɪ”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes; also, at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “exterior” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“exterior” sound by sound
“exterior” 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.
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ɪRelax the tongue slightly lower and further back than for /iː/, keep the lips neutral, and make it short and lax.
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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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sHold the tongue tip near (not touching) the ridge behind the upper teeth and force a narrow stream of air down the groove of the tongue.
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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.
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ɪRelax the tongue slightly lower and further back than for /iː/, keep the lips neutral, and make it short and lax.
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rCurl the tongue tip back (or bunch the tongue body up) without touching anything, round the lips slightly, and voice — the tongue must never tap the roof of the mouth.
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iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
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ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
Words that rhyme with “exterior”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “exterior”
- How do you pronounce “exterior”?
- “exterior” is pronounced /ɪkˈstɪriːər/, with the stress on the second syllable (stɪ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “exterior”?
- “exterior” has 4 syllables: ɪk · stɪ · riː · ər. The stress pattern is oOoo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “exterior”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈekstərɪɔːr/, but it is actually /ɪkˈstɪriːər/, because the stress lands on the second syllable (“stɪ”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes.
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