How to Pronounce “compel”

American (US)

/kəmˈpɛl/

British (UK)

/kəmˈpɛl/

verb — To drive together, round up.

Example: The shepherds compelled the stray sheep into the fold as night began to fall.

Where the stress falls. “compel” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /kəmˈpɛl/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /kəmˈpɛl/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "compel" mean?

compel (verb): To drive together, round up. For example — The shepherds compelled the stray sheep into the fold as night began to fall.

How do you pronounce "compel" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "compel", /kəmˈpɛl/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "compel"?

/kəmˈpɛl/ in American English, /kəmˈpɛl/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "compel"?

“compel” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /kəmˈpɛl/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.