How to pronounce “supply”
Supply is pronounced /səˈplaɪ/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — plaɪ. 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 plaɪ 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 “supply”
✗ Often said: /ˈsʌpliː/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /səˈplaɪ/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the second syllable (“plaɪ”), 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; 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 “supply” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“supply” sound by sound
“supply” 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.
-
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.
-
əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
-
pPress both lips together, build up air behind them, then release with a puff of air (aspiration) when the sound starts a stressed syllable.
-
lTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth and let the voiced air flow around the sides of the tongue.
-
aɪStart with the mouth open at an /a/-like position and glide up toward /ɪ/, closing the jaw as you go.
Words that rhyme with “supply”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “supply”
- How do you pronounce “supply”?
- “supply” is pronounced /səˈplaɪ/, with the stress on the second syllable (plaɪ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “supply”?
- “supply” has 2 syllables: sə · plaɪ. The stress pattern is oO.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “supply”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈsʌpliː/, but it is actually /səˈplaɪ/, because the stress lands on the second syllable (“plaɪ”), 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.