3 syllables: Ex, er, cise. Stress on Ex.
EK-sur-seyez
/ˈɛksɚˌsaɪz/
Exercise is pronounced EK-sur-seyez (/ˈɛksɚˌsaɪz/). It has three syllables (Ex-er-cise), with the stress on "Ex". Exercise (noun) refers to a planned activity intended to improve strength, fitness, or health, or a task set for practice or training. It can also mean a strenuous or energetic activity, or the process of applying or utilizing something (e.g., a legal exercise of a right). The term carries connotations of purposeful effort, routine, and discipline. In everyday use, it most commonly denotes physical activity performed to enhance health or performance.
nounExercise (noun) refers to a planned activity intended to improve strength, fitness, or health, or a task set for practice or training. It can also mean a strenuous or energetic activity, or the process of applying or utilizing something (e.g., a legal exercise of a right). The term carries connotations of purposeful effort, routine, and discipline. In everyday use, it most commonly denotes physical activity performed to enhance health or performance.
How to Pronounce Exercise
"I do a 30-minute exercise routine every morning."
"The teacher gave us extra math exercises for practice."
"She learned how to exercise her rights under the new law."
Pronounce as EX-er-cize, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US: ˈɛk.sɚˌsaɪz; UK: ˈeks.ɪ.saɪz; AU: ˈɛk.səˌsaɪz. Start with the sound of “eh” as in “bed” for the first syllable, then a quick schwa in the second, and end with the long “wise” sound for -cise. Make the final vowel a long I (aɪ) in most speakers. Keep the final consonant cluster clear: -z with a light voice, not -s. Listening to native prompts can help you align the stress and length.
Common errors: 1) Dropping the second syllable or misplacing stress (hearing EX-uh-size instead of EX-er-cise). Correction: keep primary stress on EX and reduce the middle to a neutral schwa: ˈɛk.sɚ.saɪz. 2) Slurring the final -ize as -ize or -s(ɪz) with a short i; aim for a clean -aɪz ending like “eyes.” 3) Vowel quality in the first syllable: replace with a clearer e sound rather than a lax æ; use ɛ as in “bet.” Practicing with minimal pairs helps fix these.
US tends to rhyme the final with -ize as /saɪz/ and a slightly stronger schwa in the middle: ˈɛk.sɚ.saɪz. UK often uses a shorter second syllable and may reduce the middle vowel more, sounding closer to ˈeks.ɪ.saɪz. Australian tends to maintain clear vowels but can be flatter with less rhoticity, so something like ˈɛk.sə.saɪz, with a light, non-rhotic 'r' and a crisp final -ize. Overall, the key differences are rhoticity, vowel quality of the middle syllable, and stress maintenance.
Difficulties arise from the three-syllable structure with a mid vowel in the second syllable and a pronounced final -ize /saɪz/. The middle syllable often uses a neutral schwa or reduced vowel, which can blur the word if not clearly articulated. The final -ize creates a tense, high-front vowel followed by a voiced z; many speakers mispronounce as /-ɪz/ or /-z/. Focus on preserving each syllable’s identity and the long I in the final syllable.
Yes. In careful or slow speech, you pronounce three distinct syllables: /ˈɛk.sɚ.saɪz/. The middle syllable contains a rhotacized schwa in American English (the /ɚ/), which is often reduced in fast speech but remains audible when you deliberately articulate the word. In careful delivery, you’ll hear EX-ər-cize with a clear middle vowel, ensuring the rhythm remains even and the final -ize lands as /saɪz/.
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The noun exercise originates from the Latin exercitium, from exercere meaning to drill, train, or exercise. The Old French exercice influenced English, arriving in Middle English as exercice. The core root exerc- conveys ‘to drive forth’ or ‘to practise,’ reflecting its use in military drill and later in physical training. By the 16th–17th centuries, exercise broadened to include mental or legal application, while the sense of physical movement for health became prominent in the 18th–19th centuries with the rise of gym culture and sports. The term evolved to cover both the act of performing a repetitive activity for improvement and the act of utilizing a right or function. First known uses appear in Latin texts and medieval manuals; the modern everyday sense of routine physical activity emerged with the fitness movements of the 19th century and solidified in common English usage by the 20th century.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Exercise" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Exercise" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Exercise"
-ase sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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