How to pronounce “species”
Species is pronounced /ˈspiːʃiːz/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — spiː. 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 spiː 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 “species”
✗ Often said: /ˈspekaɪs/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈspiːʃiːz/
Why the two come apart: at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here; also, a consonant letter takes an unexpected sound value here, so reading it "as written" comes out wrong.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “species” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“species” sound by sound
“species” is built out of 6 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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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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pPress both lips together, build up air behind them, then release with a puff of air (aspiration) when the sound starts a stressed syllable.
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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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ʃPull the tongue slightly back from the /s/ position, spread the blade wide behind the ridge, round the lips a little, and push air through with no voice.
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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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zExactly the /s/ tongue position with voicing added, so the airflow buzzes.
Questions people ask about “species”
- How do you pronounce “species”?
- “species” is pronounced /ˈspiːʃiːz/, with the stress on the first syllable (spiː). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “species”?
- “species” has 2 syllables: spiː · ʃiːz. The stress pattern is Oo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “species”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈspekaɪs/, but it is actually /ˈspiːʃiːz/, because at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here.
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