How to pronounce "press" in English
prɛs
PRES
Primary stress: PRES
Hear native speakers say press in context across real video clips
It came out, actually, from Harvard Business Review Press, which published my first book, "Reinventing You." And interestingly enough, so they did a pretty wide-ranging study of entrepreneurs And interestingly enough, so they
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “press”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
PRES
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
As a single-syllable word, "press" receives full primary stress when spoken in isolation, though it may take a reduced weak form in connected speech when acting as a function word.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Single-syllable words like "press" carry primary acoustic prominence in isolation, but can be swallowed in rapid connected speech.
How Native Speakers Say It: Sustain vowel clarity without rushing into the trailing consonant. Elevate pitch slightly when "press" carries the primary contrast or new information in a sentence.
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "press" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "press is" sounds like "press-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "press" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“Press, which published my first book, "Reinventing You."”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“press conference, and one of the reporters said to him, "There's been a ceasefire announced, but it appears that”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“press and nobody in the media seems to understand or try to understand what's really in that formula.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Press our elected leaders that this is something that should be at the top of their agenda.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Press on the vegetables a little bit to get rid of some of the excess liquid.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Press, so this is the last way that we work a lot with people in DC.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “press”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
Press, which published my first book, "Reinventing You."
Hear it in context: “press”
23,704 clipsThe English word “press” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as prɛs (phonetic respelling: PRES). Phonologically, it consists of 1 syllable (PRES), pronounced as a single stressed monosyllable. Grammatically, “press” 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 23,704 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “press” 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 · @46:46
“It came out, actually, from Harvard Business Review Press, which published my first book, "Reinventing You." And interestingly enough, so they did a pretty wide-ranging study of entrepreneurs And interestingly enough, so they”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @12:22
“Secretary of War, Pete Hegsth, did a press conference, and one of the reporters said to him, "There's been a ceasefire announced, but it appears that reporters said to him, "There's been a”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @4:46
“pundit or company gets lots of free press and nobody in the media seems to understand or try to understand what's really in that formula. understand or try to understand what's”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @33:46
“and advocate for zoning that is more equitable. Press our elected leaders that this is something that should be at the top of their agenda. is something that should be at the top of their agenda.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @12:27
“You can use a colander for this. Press on the vegetables a little bit to get rid of some of the excess liquid. get rid of some of the excess liquid.”
Definition & Meaning: “press”
- An instance of applying pressure; an instance of pressing.
- A device used to apply pressure to an item.
- To exert weight or force against, to act upon with force or weight; to exert pressure upon.
- To activate a button or key by exerting a downward or forward force on it, and then releasing it.
Example Sentences (3)
- “Connecting to the service is almost idiot proof and takes just a few button presses.”
- “a flower press”
- “Press, which published my first book, "Reinventing You." And interestingly enough, so they did a pretty wide-ranging study of entrepreneurs”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “press”
- Pronunciation:
- PRES
- Syllables:
- PRES
- Written Hyphenation:
- press
- Primary stress:
- PRES
- IPA:
- prɛs
- Hear it in context
- press
Synonyms: “press”
Hear words related in meaning to “press” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “press”
-ɛsWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"press" (⁄prɛs⁄) 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, "press" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about press
How do you pronounce “press”?
“press” is pronounced ⁄prɛs⁄ (PRES). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
Where is the stress in “press”?
The primary stress in “press” is on “PRES”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “press” mean?
An instance of applying pressure; an instance of pressing.
How can I hear “press” used in real sentences?
This page has 23704 real-world video examples of “press” 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 “press”?
Single-syllable words like "press" carry primary acoustic prominence in isolation, but can be swallowed in rapid connected speech. Sustain vowel clarity without rushing into the trailing consonant. Elevate pitch slightly when "press" carries the primary contrast or new information in a sentence.