2 syllables: Ex, pat. Stress on Ex.
EK-spat
/ˈɛkspæt/
Expat is pronounced EK-spat (/ˈɛkspæt/). It has two syllables (Ex-pat), with the stress on "Ex". Expat is a noun meaning a person who lives outside their native country, often temporarily for work or retirement. The term combines the prefix ex- with ‘pat,’ referring to an expatriate. It’s commonly used in professional, sociocultural, and travel contexts, and can imply a community of fellow expatriates or a lived experience abroad.
nounExpat is a noun meaning a person who lives outside their native country, often temporarily for work or retirement. The term combines the prefix ex- with ‘pat,’ referring to an expatriate. It’s commonly used in professional, sociocultural, and travel contexts, and can imply a community of fellow expatriates or a lived experience abroad.
"After touring the region for work, she settled as an expat in Singapore."
"The expat community in Lisbon hosts monthly language exchanges."
"Being an expat has its challenges, from bureaucracy to homesickness."
Say EX-pat with a strong initial stress. IPA: US /ˈɛkˌspæt/, UK /ˈɛkspæt/, AU /ˈɛkspæt/. Start with a short, open-mid front vowel /ɛ/ as in “bet,” then a clear /k/ release to /sp/ cluster, and finish with /æt/ as in “bat.” The rhythm leans on the first syllable, with a light secondary lift before the final syllable. Visualize your mouth: lips relaxed, mouth slightly open for /ɛ/, tongue high-mid for /k/, then a quick /sp/ glide into /æt/. Audio references: consult a native speaker clip or pronunciation tool for a quick listen.
Two frequent errors: (1) Slurring the /k/ into the /sp/ cluster so it sounds like /ɛkspæt/ with a weak stop; ensure a crisp /k/ before /sp/. (2) Reducing the second syllable too much, not releasing /æt/ fully; keep a clear /t/ release. Practice by isolating the /k/ and /sp/ together, then emphasize the /æt/ with a short burst of air. Your mouth should briefly pause between /k/ and /sp/ to avoid a blended sound.
US and UK share /ˈɛkspæt/ with rhoticity not altering the /r/ since no rhotic element; the main difference is vowel quality in /ɛ/ slightly tenser in US, more relaxed in some UK dialects. Australia tends toward a slightly closer /eɪ/ in some speakers, but standard AU tends to align with /ˈɛkspæt/ with similar /æ/ in the final vowel. Overall, the core is stress on the first syllable and crisp /k/ and /sp/ clusters in all three. Listen to local news anchors for precise vowel shading.
The challenge lies in the consonant cluster /ksp/ after an abrupt /ɛ/ vowel and the final lax /æt/. The /k/ and /sp/ require precise timing and a quick transition between plosive and sibilant. You also must release /æ/ quickly into /t/ to avoid a fused sound. Practicing the sequence /k/ → /sp/ → /æt/ in slow tempo helps establish accuracy before increasing speed.
The word’s expositional stresses favor the first syllable with a relatively short, unstressed second syllable; some speakers produce a slightly lighter /æ/ in the second syllable when speaking quickly, but standard expectation remains a full /æ/. Watch for a brief syllabic pause or a micro-glide between /k/ and /sp/ to avoid blending into /ksp/.”
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Expatriate comes from the Latin expatriatus, past participle of expatriari, formed from ex- ‘out of’ + patrare ‘to father, to beget’ (in the sense of ‘to father out’ or ‘to banish’). The sense originally referred to someone who had been banished or who had left their homeland. In English, expatriate began circulating in the 16th–18th centuries, but the current usage as a resident outside one’s native country solidified in the 19th and 20th centuries with rising global mobility. The shortened form expat arose as a colloquial, more approachable label for expatriates, particularly in professional and social discourse. Today, expat commonly signals an international lifestyle with an emphasis on temporary or semi-permanent residence abroad, often within global cities and corporate postings. The word reflects sociolinguistic shifts where global mobility is integrated into everyday vocabularies, not just formal immigration terms.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Expat" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Expat" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Expat"
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