4 syllables: com, press, i, ble. Stress on press.
kuhm-PRES-uhbl
/kəmˈprɛsəbl/
compressible is pronounced kuhm-PRES-uhbl (/kəmˈprɛsəbl/). It has four syllables (com-press-i-ble), with the stress on "press". Compressible means capable of being pressed or squeezed into a smaller size or volume. In science and engineering, it describes a substance whose density changes under pressure. The term often appears in contexts like thermodynamics and material science, where the compressibility of a gas or solid affects behavior under applied forces.
Compressible means capable of being pressed or squeezed into a smaller size or volume. In science and engineering, it describes a substance whose density changes under pressure. The term often appears in contexts like thermodynamics and material science, where the compressibility of a gas or solid affects behavior under applied forces.
"The gas is highly compressible at low temperatures."
"Researchers studied the compressible flow around the wing."
"Compressible materials can deform significantly under pressure."
Pronounce it as /kəmˈprɛs.ə.bəl/. The primary stress is on the second syllable: com-PRESS-i-ble. Start with a muted /k/ and schwa /ə/ before the stressed /ˈprɛs/. The middle is /ˈprɛs/ like press, followed by /ə/ and /bəl/ with a light /b/ and a soft schwa plus /l/. Audio reference: you can listen to the pronunciation in major dictionaries or Forvo.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress, saying com-PRESS-i-ble or com-prèss-i-ble; ensure stress on the second syllable /ˈprɛs/. 2) Slurring the middle consonant cluster, producing /kəmˈprɛsəbəl/ with an extra vowel; keep /ˈprɛs/ as a single syllable and reduce the /ə/ between /ˈprɛs/ and /bəl/. 3) Pronouncing the final -ible as -ible with a hard i; pronounce /-ɪ.bəl/ as /-ə.bəl/. Practice: slow through the full word, then speed up while maintaining the stress and reduced vowels.
US: /kəmˈprɛs.ə.bəl/ with rhotic /r/ and clear /ɪ/ in -ible. UK: /kəmˈpres.ə.bəl/ with non-rhotic /r/ and a slightly shorter /e/ in the stressed syllable; stress remains on -press-. AU: similar to US but with Australian vowel quality: /kəmˈprɛs.ə.bəl/ and a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable. Across accents, the core /ˈprɛs/ remains, but vowel lengths and rhotics vary. IPA guides help align mouth positions: keep the /pr/ cluster tight, reduce the middle vowel before -ble.
Two main challenges: the consonant cluster /pr/ followed by /ɛs/ must be crisp without adding an extra vowel; and the -ible ending /-ɪ.bəl/ often becomes a reduced, two-syllable ending /-ə.bəl/. The stress on the middle syllable makes the mouth slide from /k/ and /m/ to a strong /prɛs/; keep tongue tension controlled to avoid flapping or delaying the /ˈprɛs/. Familiarize with minimal pairs and reinforce the flow between the stressed and unstressed segments.
A unique aspect is the consistent stress on the second syllable /ˈprɛs/ despite the word’s length and trailing -ible. The 'p' in /pr/ is released crisply, and the final -ble is pronounced as /bəl/ rather than a full syllable. There are no silent letters; all letters contribute to the pronunciation, but the -e in -ible is not pronounced as a separate vowel. Emphasize the chain of lips and tongue from /k/ to /pr/ to /ɛs/ before the reduced /ə/ and final /bəl/ to maintain natural rhythm.
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Compressible comes from Latin compressus, the past participle of comprimere meaning to press together, combining com- (together) with premere (to press). The English form arose in the late 17th to 18th centuries as scientific vocabulary spread, especially in physics and engineering. The suffix -ible denotes capability. The root premere traces to Latin, and the prefix com- emerged as a combining form to indicate joint action. The term gained precise technical meaning in thermodynamics and materials science by the 19th century, describing how substances respond to pressure by reducing volume, density, or other properties. First known uses appeared in Latin scientific scholia before appearing in early English treatises on gas laws and material properties, where “compressible” distinguished substances whose density changes under pressure from incompressible counterparts. Over time, the word became common in engineering texts, numerical methods for compressible flow, and everyday science writing—preserving its core sense of potential volume reduction under force. Today, compressible is a standard term in physics, engineering, aerospace, and materials science, reflecting a property that governs how systems react to pressure changes.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "compressible" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "compressible"
-ble sounds
-le? sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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