How to pronounce "contrasts" in EnglishNoun
ˈkɒntrɑːsts
KON·trahsts
Primary stress: KON
Hear native speakers say contrasts in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “contrasts”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
KON
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
trahsts
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 "contrasts" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "contrasts is" sounds like "contrasts-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "contrasts" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“And then you can see again here the relationship between the contrasts idea and the regression idea that comes out.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“this, I noticed a lot of similarities, a lot of contrasts, a lot of very very”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“All politics is about contrasts.”— TED-EdWatch clip
“me they're attacking me with all their might uh and we're drawing contrasts and the contrasts are clear and the contrasts by the way are substantive and”— CNBCWatch clip
“Now, that's the contrast that I would do, again, for C. If I also want to form contrasts”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Those were the contrasts between which I moved and the contrasts that moved me.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
Practice Speaking “contrasts”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
And then you can see again here the relationship between the contrasts idea and the regression idea that comes out.
Hear it in context: “contrasts”
27 clipsThe English word “contrasts” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈkɒntrɑːsts (phonetic respelling: KON-trahsts). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (KON · trahsts), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (KON). Grammatically, “contrasts” 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 27 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “contrasts” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from MIT OpenCourseWare, TEDx Talks, TED-Ed.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #1 · @28:07
“in order to be able to do that. And then you can see again here the relationship between the contrasts idea and the regression idea that comes out. between the contrasts idea and the regression idea”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #2 · @7:06
“think of my comics and my comic panels as carrier box? And when I started doing this, I noticed a lot of similarities, a lot of contrasts, a lot of very very interesting details that are connected to my story. And then I kept reading and”
- 🇺🇸 USTED-EdClip #3 · @2:20
“This brings us to the second strategy, choosing a defining fight. All politics is about contrasts. Few of us think about civic life in the abstract.”
- 🇺🇸 USCNBCClip #4 · @0:27
“is getting pretty tough both Trump and Marco are attacking me they're attacking me with all their might uh and we're drawing contrasts and the contrasts are clear and the contrasts by the way are substantive and the contrasts are clear and the contrasts by the way are substantive and”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #5 · @21:25
“That makes good intuitive sense. Now, that's the contrast that I would do, again, for C. If I also want to form contrasts for C. If I also want to form contrasts”
Definition & Meaning: “contrasts”
- 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!”
- “And then you can see again here the relationship between the contrasts idea and the regression idea that comes out.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “contrasts”
- Pronunciation:
- KON-trahsts
- Syllables:
- KON · trahsts
- Written Hyphenation:
- con · trasts
- Primary stress:
- KON
- IPA:
- ˈkɒntrɑːsts
- Hear it in context
- contrasts
Words that Rhyme with “contrasts”
-ɒntrɑstsWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"contrasts" (⁄ˈkɒntrɑːsts⁄) 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, "contrasts" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about contrasts
How do you pronounce “contrasts”?
“contrasts” is pronounced ⁄ˈkɒntrɑːsts⁄ (KON-trahsts). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “contrasts”?
“contrasts” has 2 syllables: KON · trahsts.
Where is the stress in “contrasts”?
The primary stress in “contrasts” is on “KON”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “contrasts” mean?
A difference in lightness, brightness or hue between two colours that makes them more or less distinguishable.
How can I hear “contrasts” used in real sentences?
This page has 27 real-world video examples of “contrasts” 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 “contrasts”?
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⁄).