2 syllables: com, press. Stress on com.
KAHM-pres
/ˈkɑmpɹɛs/
compress is pronounced KAHM-pres (/ˈkɑmpɹɛs/). It has two syllables (com-press), with the stress on "com". Compress means to press something firmly together to reduce size or volume, often by applying pressure. It can also describe fitting data or information into a smaller form or combining elements for efficiency. In technical contexts, it denotes making an object denser or more compact, and in computing, reducing file size. The term spans everyday and specialized uses, with stress commonly on the second syllable (com-PRESS).
Compress means to press something firmly together to reduce size or volume, often by applying pressure. It can also describe fitting data or information into a smaller form or combining elements for efficiency. In technical contexts, it denotes making an object denser or more compact, and in computing, reducing file size. The term spans everyday and specialized uses, with stress commonly on the second syllable (com-PRESS).
"The technician used a clamp to compress the metal sheet."
"We need to compress the files before sending them via email."
"The story was so long that we had to compress it into a summary."
Pronounce it as kəm-PRESS, with primary stress on the second syllable. Phonetically: /kəm-ˈprɛs/ in US and UK accents. Tip: start with a soft, relaxed first syllable (kə) and then a crisp, quick second syllable (press) where the vowel is a mid-front lax /ɛ/. Mouth positions: lips neutral to slightly rounded for the initial /k/ release, tongue high-back for /k/, then a short /əm/ before the stressed /prɛs/. Audio references in dictionaries can help hear the exact brief schwa in the first syllable.
Common errors: misplacing stress (compress with first syllable stress com-PRESS; correct is on PRESS); pronouncing as com-press with a long /iː/ or /ɪ/ in the second syllable; and adding an extra vowel between /k/ and /m/. Correction: keep the /k/ release clean into /əm/ (schwa) and then the crisp /prɛs/. Practice by saying ‘kuh-m PRESS’ at natural speed, slowly: /kəˈprɛs/. Focus on keeping the second syllable’s /r/ and /ɛ/ clear without adding vowels.
US/UK/AU share /kəm-ˈpres/ but differ subtly: US tends to flit the /r/ in /prɛs/ less prominently in rhotic contexts; UK often has a slightly shorter /ɜː/ quality when unstressed, but for compress the main vowel is /ɛ/; AU mirrors US but can feature a marginally more non-rhotic tendency in fast speech, yet /prɛs/ remains crisp. Overall, all three have stress on PRESS, with minor vowel quality shifts: US /prɛs/, UK /prɛs/, AU /prɛs/.
The difficulty lies in the rapid transition from the /k/ release and the schwa /ə/ into the /m/ and then the /prɛs/ cluster. Keeping the schwa neutral and the /r/ non-rolled in non-rhotic speakers can slow production. Also, the /p/ and /r/ blend in the second syllable can cause a slight vowel intrusion or extra vowel if you’re not clear with the /pr/ onset. Focus on segmentation: /k/ + /ə m/ + /prɛs/ with strong release.
Compress has no silent letters; every letter contributes to the pronunciation. The challenge is not a silent letter but a quick, unobtrusive transition from the /m/ to /pr/ onset and maintaining the stress on PRESS. Remember the initial /k/ is released with a short /ə/ and then the /m/ links to /prɛs/ without any vowel after /m/.
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Compress comes from late Latin comprimere, from com- 'together' + premere 'to press'. The Latin form comprimere yielded Old French comprimer and later Middle English compressen, leading to the modern form compress. The sense development tracks from the physical act of pressing two things together to reduce space, to broader figurative uses like compressing data, compressing rules, or compressive forces in physics. First known uses appear in scientific and technical texts in the 17th-18th centuries as mechanical engineers and physicists described compression as a defining action of pistons, gears, and pressure systems. By the 19th and 20th centuries, computer science and information theory popularized ‘compress’ as “to reduce size” for files and data, cementing the term in both everyday language and specialized disciplines. The root com- meaning “together” and premere meaning “to press” remain central to the word’s modern semantics, including physical compression, data compression, and abstract metaphorical compression of concepts.
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Words that rhyme with "compress"
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