2 syllables: de, crease. Stress on crease.
dik-REES
/dɪˈkɹis/
decrease is pronounced dik-REES (/dɪˈkɹis/). It has two syllables (de-crease), with the stress on "crease". Decrease is a verb or noun meaning to become or cause to become smaller in size, amount, or degree. It denotes a reduction or decline, often gradual, and can apply to quantities, intensity, or frequency. In practice, you might say prices decrease over time or a decrease in noise levels followed by planning for further reduction.
Decrease is a verb or noun meaning to become or cause to become smaller in size, amount, or degree. It denotes a reduction or decline, often gradual, and can apply to quantities, intensity, or frequency. In practice, you might say prices decrease over time or a decrease in noise levels followed by planning for further reduction.
"The company expects a decrease in emissions after implementing the new filters."
"There has been a steady decrease in crime rates this year."
"We need to decrease the amount of sugar in the recipe to make it healthier."
Pronounce it dɪˈkriːs with primary stress on the second syllable. The first syllable sounds like 'di' as in 'dip', then a long 'gree' (/kriː/) with a final 's' sound. The mouth starts relaxed, moves toward a tense mid-back position for /iː/ and ends with a clear /s/ at the end. If you’re on the noun form, you’ll often hear the stress shifted, but the verb form keeps primary stress on -crease.
Common errors include misplacing the primary stress (saying de-CREASE with stress on the first syllable) and mispronouncing the vowel as /ɪ/ or /ɛ/ so it sounds like 'di-crest'. Another frequent issue is blending the /kriː/ cluster into a hard 'cries' sound. Correct it by emphasizing the /k/ followed by a long /iː/ and a clean /s/ at the end, keeping the /r/ soft or silent depending on accent.
In US English, the /ɪ/ in the first syllable can be shorter, with the /iː/ in the second syllable lengthened, giving dɪˈkriːs and a rhotic /r/. In UK English, the /r/ is non-rhotic, so you’ll hear dɪˈkriːs with a non-pronounced /r/ before a vowel. Australian English mirrors US/UK but may feature a less pronounced /iː/ and a flatter intonation. Overall, the primary stress remains on the second syllable; vowel quality and rhoticity are the main differences.
Difficulties stem from the consonant cluster /kr/ directly following the short /ɪ/ and moving into a long vowel /iː/. Coordinating the /k/ release, the /r/ (in rhotic accents), and the final /s/ requires precise tongue tip position and breath control. For non-rhotic speakers, the /r/ is less prominent, which can subtly shift the vowel quality. Practicing the /iː/ duration and the final /s/ without a trailing hissing can help stabilize the word.
A unique feature is the shift in lexical function between verb and noun forms when stress shifts, especially in connected speech. Even though both forms share the same spelling, many speakers favor a subtle stress variation and syllable timing depending on whether the word functions as a noun (DE-crease) or a verb (de-CREASE). In careful speech, maintain the second-syllable emphasis for both forms to avoid ambiguity.
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Decrease comes from Middle English decreessen, from Anglo-French decresce, from Latin de- 'down' + crescere 'to grow.' The word originally conveyed the idea of something growing down or diminishing rather than simply stopping. In early English texts, decrease was used in mathematical and economic contexts to describe a shrinking quantity. Over the centuries, its usage broadened to describe reductions in various domains—physical size, numbers, intensity, or degrees. By the 17th and 18th centuries, decrease appeared frequently in scientific and legal language, aligning with the modern sense of a downward change. The noun and verb forms developed to cover both the act of decreasing and the result, respectively, and the word remains common in formal and everyday usage. First known uses appear in Latin-derived medical and mathematical treatises and then move into English through French intermediaries as trade and science expanded in Europe.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "decrease" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "decrease" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "decrease"
-sed sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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