4 syllables: Com, pre, hen, sive. Stress on hen.
kahm-pree-HEN-siv
/ˌkɑmpɹiˈhɛnsɪv/
Comprehensive is pronounced kahm-pree-HEN-siv (/ˌkɑmpɹiˈhɛnsɪv/). It has four syllables (Com-pre-hen-sive), with the stress on "hen". Comprehensive is an adjective describing something that is thorough and includes all or nearly all elements or aspects. It conveys broad scope and depth, leaving little or nothing out. Used for exams, reports, or plans that aim to cover the whole field or topic.
adjectiveComprehensive is an adjective describing something that is thorough and includes all or nearly all elements or aspects. It conveys broad scope and depth, leaving little or nothing out. Used for exams, reports, or plans that aim to cover the whole field or topic.
Tips: use slow-to-fast practice, record yourself, and compare against a vetted pronunciation. Focus on the nucleus 'ven' for primary stress, while keeping the 'com' light and the final 'sive' tight.
How to Pronounce Comprehensive
"The report provides a comprehensive overview of the project, including budgets, timelines, and risks."
"We offer a comprehensive training program that covers fundamentals, advanced techniques, and troubleshooting."
"Her comprehensive exam tested knowledge across several disciplines."
/ˌkɒm-prə-ˈven-sɪv/ (UK) or /ˌkɑːm-prə-ˈven-sɪv/ (US); primary stress on the third syllable, 'ven'. Start with 'kom' (k-with o as in 'cot' or 'father'), move to a reduced 'prə' in the second syllable, then 'ven' stressed, and end with 'siv' sounding like 'siv' in 'forgive' but with a short i. Mouth position: rounded lips slightly for /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ at the start, then neutral schwa in /prə/, then a crisp /ˈven/ with a clear vowel, and final /sɪv/ with a light, quick 'v' release. Audio reference: listen for the strong secondary syllable before the primary stress and the rhoticity in US if present.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (often guessing 'com-PREN-sive' or 'COM-pren-sive'), mispronouncing the middle vowel as a full 'o' or 'a' instead of a schwa, and omitting the final 'sive' sound leading to /ˈkɒm-prən-sɪv/ or /ˌkɒm-prɛn-sɪv/. Correct by targeting /-ˈven-sɪv/ with a stressed 'ven' and a short, crisp /sɪv/ ending. Practice pronouncing the sequence 'kom-prə-VEN-siv' with a light, quick ending, not a drawn-out 'viss' sound.
In US English, the first syllable /kɑm/ may use an open back vowel [ɑ] before an unstressed schwa; the /r/ is rhotic and may color the following vowel slightly. UK English tends to melt the 'r' and use a shorter /ə/ in the second syllable, with /ˈven/ clearly stressed. Australian English often shows vowel smoothing with a clear /ɪ/ in /ˈven-sɪv/ and a non-rhoticity in many speakers, reducing the /r/ and slightly lengthening the preceding vowels. Across accents, the main shifts are the rhoticity and vowel qualities in /ɒ/ vs /ɒ/ vs /ɒ/, and the degree of vowel reduction in the second syllable.
It combines a stressed, non-initial syllable with a mid-central vowel in the second syllable (/prə/), plus a crisp /-ven-siv/ ending that requires precise timing. The sequence of light vowels in /-prə-/ and the cluster /-vən-/ can be tricky, and non-native speakers often misplace primary stress on the first syllable or mispronounce the 'ven' as /ven/ with an e-silent vowel. Paying attention to the medial schwa and the final /sɪv/ improves clarity and natural rhythm.
The word’s core challenge is the contrastive stress on the third syllable /ˈven/ against a weak second syllable /prə/. The 'com' is less prominent than the 'ven' chunk, so you should emphasize the mid word's nucleus while keeping the initial and final segments compact. Practicing with minimal pairs that differ in stress location (e.g., 'comprehensive' vs 'comprehensive' when mis-stressed) helps you lock the correct rhythm and prevent early over-emphasis. IPA references are helpful to visualize the reduced vowel, and recordings help align timing.
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Comprehensive comes from the Late Latin comprehensivus, from Latin comprehendere, meaning 'to seize, grasp, arrest, contain' (com- 'together' + prehendere 'to seize'). The English form emerges in the 17th century, initially in sense relating to “including much” or “extending over a wide scope.” The word was later used in legal, academic, and professional contexts to describe works, programs, or studies that aim to cover all relevant aspects. Its modern sense of being all-encompassing is well established by the 19th and 20th centuries in education, insurance, and research. First known uses appear in scholarly discourse discussing curricula or surveys that attempt to be all-embracing rather than selective, and the polysemous sense has persisted, yielding phrases like comprehensive exams, comprehensive plans, and comprehensive coverage.
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Help others use "Comprehensive" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Comprehensive" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Comprehensive" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Comprehensive"
-ive sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
