2 syllables: a, cross. Stress on cross.
uh-KRAWS
/əˈkɹɔs/
across is pronounced uh-KRAWS (/əˈkɹɔs/). It has two syllables (a-cross), with the stress on "cross". Across describes movement from one side to the other or extending over a area or distance. It can function as a preposition (across the street), an adverb (the field stretches across), or in fixed phrases. The core idea is horizontal span or transition from one side to another, often implying crossing or coverage.
Across describes movement from one side to the other or extending over a area or distance. It can function as a preposition (across the street), an adverb (the field stretches across), or in fixed phrases. The core idea is horizontal span or transition from one side to another, often implying crossing or coverage.
- Mistake: Softening or skipping the /k/ in the /kr/ cluster or inserting a light vowel between /k/ and /r/; correction: keep the /k/ and /r/ as a tight cluster, avoid inserting an extra vowel between them. - Mistake: Under- or over-emphasizing the first syllable; correction: stress the second syllable clearly: əˈkrɔs. Practice with minimal pairs like across vs. a cross to feel boundary.
"She walked across the street to avoid traffic."
"A bridge spans across the river, connecting the two towns."
"The meeting runs across three hours, with breaks in between."
Pronounce as ə-KRɔs for US, with primary stress on the second syllable. The initial vowel is a weak schwa, the 'cr' forms a single consonant cluster with a voiceless stop following, and the final s is a voiceless sibilant. IPA: US /əˈkrɔs/, UK /əˈkrɒs/, AU /əˈkrɒs/. Focus on a crisp /k/ onset after the weak vowel and clear rhotic avoidance in non-rhotic UK speech.
Common errors: 1) Reducing the second syllable improperly or misplacing the primary stress, 2) Turning /ɔ/ into a more open /ɑ/ or closing the syllable too early, 3) Running the /r/ in non-rhotic dialects or over-articulating the cluster /kr/. Correction: place strong emphasis on the second syllable with a crisp /ɔ/ or /ɒ/ vowel for clarity, maintain the /k/ + /r/ cluster without inserting vowel between them, and keep the final /s/ sharp but not hissy.
US speakers typically use /əˈkrɔs/ with rhotic-like /ɹ/ preceding the vowel and a mid-ɔ. UK speakers often have /əˈkrɒs/ with a shorter, more back /ɒ/ and non-rhoticity leading to a slightly lighter /r/ in some dialects. Australian English commonly mirrors /əˈkrɒs/ with a broad /ɒ/ or centralized /ɒ/ and less pronounced r coloring. The main differences are vowel height and quality, rhotic presence, and slight stress timing differences that affect the overall loudness of the second syllable.
The difficulty lies in the short, stressed second syllable with a tight /ɔ/ or /ɒ/ vowel and the /kr/ consonant cluster immediately before the final /s/. Speakers often misplace the stress or insert a vowel between /k/ and /r/ (e.g., /əˈkə rɒs/). Also, in rapid speech, the schwa can be reduced further, making it sound more like /əˈkɹɑs/ or /əˈkɹɔs/ depending on accent. Focus on keeping /k/ + /r/ tightly connected and delivering a clean final /s/.
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- US: rhotic /ɹ/ is supplied; the second syllable uses a rounded /ɔ/ or /ɔː/ depending on region; UK/AU: more open /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ with non-rhotic tendencies; IPA references: US /əˈkrɔs/ UK /əˈkrɒs/ AU /əˈkrɒs/. - Vowel length and quality differences: US tends to a slightly longer /ɔ/ before /s/ in some dialects; UK often a shorter, tenser /ɒ/. - Consonant cluster: ensure not to insert an extra vowel and keep /kr/ tightly blended.
Across originated in Old English as ær gefrōd (before crossing) or ge- circum- across forms, evolving through Middle English to the modern across. The word is composed of a prefix a- (toward, on) and the verb screawcas/gefrōd related to breaking or crossing, with geographic senses emerging as communities described movement or extension from one side to another. Earlier senses emphasized motion from one side of a boundary to the other, later broadening to include spatial relation along a surface (across the field, across town) and idiomatic uses. First known written attestations appear in late Old English/early Middle English texts to express direction or path across an area, and by the early modern period, across had become a stable, productive preposition and adverb in English.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "across" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "across"
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