How to pronounce "contrast" in EnglishVerb
ˈkɒntrɑːst
KON·trahst
Primary stress: KON
Hear native speakers say contrast in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “contrast”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
KON
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
trahst
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("KON"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "contrast" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "contrast is" sounds like "contrast-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "contrast" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“contrast the r16 fused the passenger and trunk space allowing for a flexible interior with up to seven different variations”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Contrast him to Jim Collins, for example, who has done four books, basically, four major books in a pretty--”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“contrast sharply with those of the German government political leaders in Berlin stress the importance of maintaining a”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Contrast that to cows -- takes about 97 square meters of land to grow one kilogram of cow.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“contrast that with a sign I found in Miami where he's like oh uh I think I'm”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Contrast that with North Korea, which may have 20 to 30 atomic devices that may or may”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “contrast”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
contrast the r16 fused the passenger and trunk space allowing for a flexible interior with up to seven different variations
Hear it in context: “contrast”
1,133 clipsThe English word “contrast” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈkɒntrɑːst (phonetic respelling: KON-trahst). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (KON · trahst), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (KON). Grammatically, “contrast” functions as a noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 1,133 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “contrast” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USClip #1 · @21:40
“boxes the engine in front the passenger compartment and the trunk in back in contrast the r16 fused the passenger and trunk space allowing for a flexible interior with up to seven different variations interior with up to seven different variations”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @25:01
“become a personality of the ideaplex. Contrast him to Jim Collins, for example, who has done four books, basically, four major books in a pretty-- books, basically, four major books in a pretty--”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @0:19
“the the way Israel is Prosecuting its war against Hamas though erdogan's views contrast sharply with those of the German government political leaders in Berlin stress the importance of maintaining a Berlin stress the importance of maintaining a”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @6:53
“to grow one kilogram of mushrooms. Contrast that to cows -- takes about 97 square meters of land to grow one kilogram of cow. takes about 97 square meters of land to grow one kilogram of cow.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @16:51
“knows the fire is there run away from it contrast that with a sign I found in Miami where he's like oh uh I think I'm Miami where he's like oh uh I think I'm”
Definition & Meaning: “contrast”
- A difference in lightness, brightness or hue between two colours that makes them more or less distinguishable.
- To set in opposition in order to show the difference or differences between; to counterpoint.
- To form a contrast.
Example Sentences (3)
- “The red and the orange don't have much contrast between them — I can hardly tell them apart.”
- “Ohh, you can't fool me. This thing's top of the line! It's got two contrast knobs!”
- “contrast the r16 fused the passenger and trunk space allowing for a flexible interior with up to seven different variations”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “contrast”
- Pronunciation:
- KON-trahst
- Syllables:
- KON · trahst
- Written Hyphenation:
- con · trast
- Primary stress:
- KON
- IPA:
- ˈkɒntrɑːst
- Hear it in context
- contrast
Words that Rhyme with “contrast”
-ɒntrɑstWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"contrast" (⁄ˈkɒntrɑːst⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "contrast" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about contrast
How do you pronounce “contrast”?
“contrast” is pronounced ⁄ˈkɒntrɑːst⁄ (KON-trahst). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “contrast”?
“contrast” has 2 syllables: KON · trahst.
Where is the stress in “contrast”?
The primary stress in “contrast” is on “KON”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “contrast” mean?
A difference in lightness, brightness or hue between two colours that makes them more or less distinguishable.
How can I hear “contrast” used in real sentences?
This page has 1133 real-world video examples of “contrast” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “contrast”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).