How to Pronounce “recommend”

American (US)

/ˌɹɛkəˈmɛnd/

British (UK)

/ˌɹɛkəˈmɛnd/

verb — To bestow commendation on; to represent favorably; to suggest, endorse or encourage as an appropriate choice.

Example: The board recommends Philips, given his ample experience in similar positions.

Where the stress falls. “recommend” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɹɛkəˈmɛnd/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌɹɛkəˈmɛnd/ 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 "recommend" mean?

recommend (verb): To bestow commendation on; to represent favorably; to suggest, endorse or encourage as an appropriate choice. For example — The board recommends Philips, given his ample experience in similar positions.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "recommend", /ˌɹɛkəˈmɛnd/, 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 "recommend"?

/ˌɹɛkəˈmɛnd/ in American English, /ˌɹɛkəˈmɛnd/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "recommend"?

“recommend” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɹɛkəˈmɛnd/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.