2 syllables: ex, plode. Stress on plode.
ik-SPLOHD
/ɪksˈploʊd/
explode is pronounced ik-SPLOHD (/ɪksˈploʊd/). It has two syllables (ex-plode), with the stress on "plode". Explode means to burst apart suddenly and violently, typically releasing energy or force. It can describe a physical rupture, an intense emotional outburst, or a rapid, forceful increase in activity or violence. The act is sudden, powerful, and often accompanied by noise or debris.
Explode means to burst apart suddenly and violently, typically releasing energy or force. It can describe a physical rupture, an intense emotional outburst, or a rapid, forceful increase in activity or violence. The act is sudden, powerful, and often accompanied by noise or debris.
"The chemical reaction caused the container to explode outward with a bright flash."
"Temperatures rose, and the market exploded in activity after the news."
"The crowd exploded with laughter when the comedian delivered the punchline."
/ɪkˈsploʊd/ (US) or /ɪkˈspləʊd/ (UK/AU). The primary stress sits on the second syllable. Start with a short /ɪ/ vowel, then /k/ followed by a strong /s/ blend into /spl/ cluster. The vowel in the second syllable is a long rounded /oʊ/ in US, and a pure /əʊ/ in UK/AU. End with /d/. Ensure the /s/ blends into /pl/ without separating the cluster. You’ll feel your lips compress for the /s/ then release into the /pl/ closure before voicing the final /d/.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing the primary stress, saying ex-PLODE with wrong emphasis; ensure stress on -plode. 2) Dropping the /s/ or simplifying the /spl/ cluster to /pl/ or /sl/; practice the /spl/ onset. 3) Vowel quality mismatches: US /oʊ/ vs UK/AU /əʊ/. Correct by sustaining the diphthong fully. 4) Final /d/ devoicing or devoicing after a voiceless consonant; keep voicing for /d/. Practice with minimal pairs to lock the cluster, vowel, and voicing.
US tends to use /ɪkˈsploʊd/ with a clear /oʊ/ diphthong and stronger rhotics; UK/AU favor /ɪkˈspləʊd/ with a schwa or reduced vowel in the second syllable and a rounded /əʊ/. Rhoticity is often less pronounced in UK/AU; the /r/ is not pronounced; the /oʊ/ in US is typically more tense. Australian speakers may show a centralized vowel in some contexts and a slightly more relaxed /əʊ/. Both UK and AU maintain the /spl/ cluster, but vowel quality and程度 of rhoticity differ.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /spl/ immediately after the initial vowel, plus the need to sustain a precise diphthong in the second syllable while maintaining voicing on /d/. The /s/ before /pl/ can blur in fast speech, and learners often misplace stress or reduce the second syllable vowel too much, turning /sploʊd/ into a less distinct sound. Focus on keeping the /s/ crisp, the /pl/ firm, and the final /d/ voiced.
No. explode pronounces all letters: ex- (eɪkˈsploʊd) contains an /ɪ/ vowel, and the” x” is part of the syllable onset, followed by /spl/ cluster, not silent letters. The second syllable has a clear /oʊ/ (US) or /əʊ/ (UK/AU) before the final /d/. Some rapid speech may reduce vowels, but there are no silent letters in standard pronunciation.
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explode comes from the verb explode, derived from the Latin explodere, itself from ex- “out” + plodere “to clap, shoot forth, strike.” The transition via Old French exploser and Middle English culminated in a sense of breaking outward violently. The core idea has long carried meanings of bursting, detonation, or outward projection. In English, early uses describe physical bursting (a shell exploding), later extending metaphorically to emotions and trends “the market exploded with activity.” The prefix ex- fused with the root -plode (from Latin plodere, to strike or drive forth) to convey outward violence or release. By the 17th-18th centuries, literary writers used explode to convey sudden, dramatic eruption beyond mere “to burst,” capturing both literal explosions and figurative surges (anger, growth, ideas). In modern usage, explode remains common in science, firearms, finance, and colloquial speech, preserving its sense of abrupt, forceful outward movement.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "explode" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "explode"
-ode sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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