How to pronounce "counterexample" in English
coun·te·re·xam·ple
Hear native speakers say counterexample in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “counterexample”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
coun
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
te
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
re
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
xam
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
ple
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Keep the vowel length balanced, placing subtle emphasis on the root morpheme according to standard conversational rhythm.
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 followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "counterexample" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“counterexample to the theorem of Euler?"”— StanfordWatch clip
“The counterexample to it is perhaps more interesting than-- your drive reduction theory, you get to a certain distance,”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“So although this counterexample kind of made us uncomfortable because we couldn't take this pretty property from the integers”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“to an example-- counterexample-- is the most systematic, mathematical, successful, predictive theory that we as humans have today.”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“One counterexample example to this, by the way, is New Orleans where, after Hurricane Katrina”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“So that's a counterexample right there.”— Khan AcademyWatch clip
Practice Speaking “counterexample”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
counterexample to the theorem of Euler?"
Hear it in context: “counterexample”
123 clipsThe English word “counterexample”. Phonologically, it consists of 5 syllables (coun · te · re · xam · ple). Grammatically, “counterexample” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 123 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “counterexample” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Stanford, MIT OpenCourseWare, TEDx Talks.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #1 · @25:12
“find in it any segment. You could say, "Why isn't that a counterexample to the theorem of Euler?" And the answer is that these examples are smooth, yes. They have tangent space. these examples are smooth, yes. They have tangent space.”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #2 · @96:45
“You want to reduce that drive. The counterexample to it is perhaps more interesting than-- your drive reduction theory, you get to a certain distance, your drive reduction theory, you get to a certain distance,”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #3 · @10:27
“And they play a major role. So although this counterexample kind of made us uncomfortable because we couldn't take this pretty property from the integers because we couldn't take this pretty property from the integers”
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #4 · @12:22
“which as far as I can tell, although we'll come back to an example-- counterexample-- is the most systematic, mathematical, successful, predictive theory that we as humans have today. mathematical, successful, predictive theory”
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #5 · @31:41
“So, these local efforts largely fail. One counterexample example to this, by the way, is New Orleans where, after Hurricane Katrina is New Orleans where, after Hurricane Katrina”
Definition & Meaning: “counterexample”
- An example that counters a general rule; an exception to a general rule; a specific instance of the falsity of (and falsifiability of) any proposed universal applicability of a rule or statement.
Example Sentences (2)
- “counterexample to the theorem of Euler?" And the answer is that these examples are smooth, yes. They have tangent space.”
- “The counterexample to it is perhaps more interesting than-- your drive reduction theory, you get to a certain distance,”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “counterexample”
- Syllables:
- coun · te · re · xam · ple
- Hear it in context
- counterexample
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"counterexample" 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, "counterexample" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about counterexample
How many syllables are in “counterexample”?
“counterexample” has 5 syllables: coun · te · re · xam · ple.
What does “counterexample” mean?
An example that counters a general rule; an exception to a general rule; a specific instance of the falsity of (and falsifiability of) any proposed universal applicability of a rule or statement.
How can I hear “counterexample” used in real sentences?
This page has 123 real-world video examples of “counterexample” 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 “counterexample”?
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⁄).