How to pronounce "sustainab" in English
səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl
sə·STAY·nə·bəl
Primary stress: STAY
Hear native speakers say sustainab in context across real video clips
certainly I feel they uh they inform each other um Stanford's Behavior its decision to uh pursue sustainab sustainability vigorously uh through construction of the y22 building and establishing very efficient uh standards construction of the y22 building and establishing very efficient uh standards
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “sustainab”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
sə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
STAY
Gliding diphthong with sustained vocal resonance.
nə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
bəl
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("STAY"). 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 "sustainab" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "sustainab is" sounds like "sustainab-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "sustainab" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“decision to uh pursue sustainab sustainability vigorously uh through construction of the y22 building and establishing very efficient uh standards”— StanfordWatch clip
“around the sustainab I have a lot more questions but one that hit me as I was doing some research real quick answer we've heard that there's a lot of energy”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“sustainable yeah we want to that to be a reflection on the sustainab sustain ility of Internet because I think it's fantastic if it is free you”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“will make them happy on a sustainab, sustainable basis.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“don't know who of our alums are interested who are either working on climate issues or sustainab issues or just have an interest in getting”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“always wanted to say that my sustainab my sustainability journey”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
Practice Speaking “sustainab”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
decision to uh pursue sustainab sustainability vigorously uh through construction of the y22 building and establishing very efficient uh standards
Hear it in context: “sustainab”
8 clipsThe English word “sustainab” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl (phonetic respelling: sə-STAY-nə-bəl). Phonologically, it consists of 4 syllables (sə · STAY · nə · bəl), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (STAY). Grammatically, “sustainab” functions as a adjective. SayItVid indexes 8 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “sustainab” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Stanford, TEDx Talks, Harvard University.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #1 · @33:16
“certainly I feel they uh they inform each other um Stanford's Behavior its decision to uh pursue sustainab sustainability vigorously uh through construction of the y22 building and establishing very efficient uh standards construction of the y22 building and establishing very efficient uh standards”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #2 · @17:10
“talking about the scale of the problem is uh immense I have one last question around the sustainab I have a lot more questions but one that hit me as I was doing some research real quick answer we've heard that there's a lot of energy doing some research real quick answer we've heard that there's a lot of energy”
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #3 · @118:17
“will have to see how we all of that it's sustainable yeah we want to that to be a reflection on the sustainab sustain ility of Internet because I think it's fantastic if it is free you ility of Internet because I think it's fantastic if it is free you”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @47:59
“people are actually very bad at predicting what will make them happy on a sustainab, sustainable basis. Mo peop, most people think, oh once I get x, then”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @34:09
“the school as well and um one thing she said at the beginning was you know we don't know who of our alums are interested who are either working on climate issues or sustainab issues or just have an interest in getting climate issues or sustainab issues or just have an interest in getting”
Definition & Meaning: “sustainab”
- Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level without depleting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage.
Example Sentences (3)
- “The company is committed to using sustainable energy sources for all its manufacturing plants.”
- “decision to uh pursue sustainab sustainability vigorously uh through construction of the y22 building and establishing very efficient uh standards”
- “around the sustainab I have a lot more questions but one that hit me as I was doing some research real quick answer we've heard that there's a lot of energy”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “sustainab”
- Pronunciation:
- sə-STAY-nə-bəl
- Syllables:
- sə · STAY · nə · bəl
- Written Hyphenation:
- su · stai · nab
- Primary stress:
- STAY
- IPA:
- səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl
- Hear it in context
- sustainab
Words that Rhyme with “sustainab”
-eɪnəbəlWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"sustainab" (⁄səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl⁄) 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, "sustainab" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about sustainab
How do you pronounce “sustainab”?
“sustainab” is pronounced ⁄səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl⁄ (sə-STAY-nə-bəl). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “sustainab”?
“sustainab” has 4 syllables: sə · STAY · nə · bəl.
Where is the stress in “sustainab”?
The primary stress in “sustainab” is on “STAY”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “sustainab” mean?
Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level without depleting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage.
How can I hear “sustainab” used in real sentences?
This page has 8 real-world video examples of “sustainab” 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 “sustainab”?
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⁄).