2 syllables: com, pile. Stress on pile.
kuhm-PEYEL
/kəˈmpaɪl/
compile is pronounced kuhm-PEYEL (/kəˈmpaɪl/). It has two syllables (com-pile), with the stress on "pile". Compile is a transitive verb meaning to gather and assemble information, data, or materials from sources into a single organized set. It emphasizes the act of collecting and combining items rather than creating new content. In computing, it refers to translating source code into executable machine code. The term implies systematic collation and synthesis for later use or analysis.
Compile is a transitive verb meaning to gather and assemble information, data, or materials from sources into a single organized set. It emphasizes the act of collecting and combining items rather than creating new content. In computing, it refers to translating source code into executable machine code. The term implies systematic collation and synthesis for later use or analysis.
- You may flatten the second syllable, saying COM-pile; instead, stress should be on PILE (/ˈpaɪl/). Actively elongate the /aɪ/ diphthong to avoid a reduced /aɪ/; practice as /ˈpaɪl/ with a crisp onset. - Errors in final consonant: some speakers soften /l/ to a vowel-like /ə/ or drop it; ensure a light but audible /l/ by touching the tip of the tongue to the alveolar ridge and releasing. - First syllable reduction: /kə/ can become a full /kəm/; keep the schwa but avoid heavy vowel reduction that blurs the word’s rhythm. - Avoid conflating with ‘com ply’ or ‘comply’ by addressing the distinct /pl/ onset sequence in the second syllable; maintain /pl/ cluster rather than /pɪ/ or /plɪ/.
"She will compile a report from several department inputs."
"The programmer will compile the code before running the program."
"Researchers compiled data from multiple studies to support the hypothesis."
pronounce it as kəm-PAIL in US/UK/AU. The primary stress sits on the second syllable: /kəmˈpaɪl/. The first syllable reduces to a schwa, and the second syllable features a long I vowel /aɪ/ followed by the liquid /l/. Mouth position: start with a relaxed jaw for /k/ and /ə/, raise the tongue to the high front position for /paɪl/, end with a clear /l/. For audio, try saying the sequence: /kə/ + /ˈpaɪl/.
Common mistakes include stressing the first syllable (COM-pile) instead of the second, mispronouncing /paɪl/ as /peɪl/ or /pɪl/, and vocalizing the initial /k/ too softly so the word sounds like /kəˈbel/ or /kəˈpaɪl/ with a weak final /l/. Correction tips: emphasize the /ˈpaɪl/ chunk with a crisp /aɪ/ diphthong and ensure the final /l/ is light but audible. Practice by isolating the second syllable /paɪl/ and linking it to a light schwa in the first syllable.
In US English, /kəmˈpaɪl/ with a rhotic /r/ only if followed by a following vowel; otherwise /kəmˈpaɪl/. UK pronunciation is similar but may vary in vowel clarity and non-rhoticity in some connected speech; the /ˈpaɪl/ remains, with a slightly less pronounced r-coloring if word-final in rapid speech. Australian English mirrors US in rhoticity and vowel length, but may have a more rounded /ɒ/ or shortened /ɪ/ sound when adjacent to a consonant; overall, the critical features are schwa-first-syllable and the long /aɪ/ in the second syllable.
Because the second syllable contains a long diphthong /aɪ/ that can bleed into a neighboring syllable in fast speech, and the final /l/ requires precise tongue contact to avoid sounding like /-l/ or /-əl/. The contrast between a neutral /kə/ onset and the high-front, tense /aɪ/ nucleus can be subtle, especially for speakers whose native language lacks similar diphthongs. Pay attention to the vowel height and lip rounding for /aɪ/ and maintain a crisp /l/ release.
No; in natural speech you should keep the two-syllable structure with clear stress on the second syllable: /kəmˈpaɪl/. Casual speech may compress vowels slightly, but you’ll still hear the /ˈpaɪl/ due to the context; avoid running the syllables together so that you produce /ˈkɒmˌpaɪl/ or /kəmˈpeɪl/. Focus on maintaining the /paɪ/ nucleus and final /l/ for intelligibility.
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- US: maintain rhoticity only when linking to a following vowel; otherwise the /r/ is not pronounced; keep the second syllable strong: /kəmˈpaɪl/. - UK: often slightly crisper consonants with less vowel reduction in careful speech; confirm /kəmˈpaɪl/ with a clear /ɪ/ in the second syllable if you’re enunciating; light rhotic influence is possible in fast speech. - AU: similar to US but with more vowel trimming in casual speech; keep /ˌkɒmˈpaɪl/ if following Australian accent tendencies? No; keep standard /kəmˈpaɪl/, but be alert to a slightly longer /ɪ/ in some contexts. IPA references included above.
Compile comes from Middle French compiler and Latin compŭlāre, from compila (bundle, bunch) from the feminine past participle of compilare ‘to pile together, collect.’ The Latin root comp- means ‘together,’ and -pile suggests piling items into a single set. The term entered English in the late 15th to early 16th century through legal, archival, and scholarly contexts, where records and documents were systematically gathered. Over time, its use broadened to general data gathering, library curation, and software development. In computing, the modern sense expanded in the 20th century as programmers combined source files into executable binaries, cementing compile as both a general act of aggregation and a technical process of translation. The word’s journey reflects a shift from physical bundling to abstract synthesis across disciplines.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "compile" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "compile"
-ple sounds
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