2 syllables: Ex, tract. Stress on Ex.
EK-strakt
/ˈɛksˌtɹækt/
Extract is pronounced EK-strakt (/ˈɛksˌtɹækt/). It has two syllables (Ex-tract), with the stress on "Ex". Extract is a verb meaning to remove or take out something, often with effort or a tool. It can also refer to obtaining a specific substance or information from a larger source. In practice, you extract data from a file, extract juice from fruit, or extract a tooth. The term emphasizes the action of pulling something out from its containing context.
verbExtract is a verb meaning to remove or take out something, often with effort or a tool. It can also refer to obtaining a specific substance or information from a larger source. In practice, you extract data from a file, extract juice from fruit, or extract a tooth. The term emphasizes the action of pulling something out from its containing context.
How to Pronounce Extract
"We need to extract the essential data from the report."
"The dentist will extract the decayed tooth under local anesthesia."
"She used a wire to extract a sample from the soil."
Pronounced /ɪkˈstrækt/ in US/UK/AU. The syllable break is ex-TRACT with the primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a short, lax /ɪ/ in the first syllable, then a sharp /k/ release before the stressed /strækt/ cluster, ending with a clear /t/. Visualize lips neutral, tongue high for /ɪ/ and then bunched for /str/ with a hard alveolar /t/. For audio reference, compare with dictionary pronunciations on Cambridge/Oxford or Pronounce datasets. Practice by saying ex-TRACT slowly, then accelerate while preserving the crisp /t/ release.
Common mistakes include reducing the second syllable to /æ/ without stress, turning /strækt/ into /stræktɪ/ or misplacing the stress as ex-TRACT. Another frequent error is mispronouncing the final /t/ as a soft d or dropping the /k/ sound in rapid speech. Correct by maintaining a clean, t-like /t/ release and ensuring the /str/ cluster occurs in the stressed syllable without vowel vowel intrusion. Emphasize the primary stress on the second syllable and keep the initial /ɪ/ short and lax.
US/UK/AU share /ɪkˈstrækt/ as the standard, with rhotic differences not affecting this word much. In some UK dialects, the /ɪ/ may be slightly more lax or centralized, and the /æ/ vowel in the stressed syllable can be broader in southern varieties. Australian English tends to maintain a precise stop release in /t/, and some speakers may have a lighter vowel in /ɪ/ depending on vowel shaping. Overall, the most noticeable feature is the crisp /t/ release and the strong /æ/ in the stressed syllable.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /str/ within the stressed syllable and the final /kt/ sequence. Maintaining a sharp /t/ release after the /k/ without a following vowel requires precise timing, especially in rapid speech, and keeping the /ɪ/ in the first syllable short helps avoid vowel reduction that can blur the word. Additionally, some speakers misplace the stress (trying ex-TRACT or e-xTRACT) or blend /k/ and /t/ into a single alveolar stop. Focus on the two-syllable rhythm and a clean stop cluster.
Does word-internal blending affect the /k/ and /t/ sequence in 'extract' when spoken quickly? The answer is yes: in rapid speech, many speakers t-colors the /k/ and /t/ together, which can blur the final consonant. To avoid this, practice with deliberate slow-speed drills emphasizing the hard /k/ release into the /t/ and ensure a glottal or dental closure is avoided, keeping the articulatory timing precise: /ɪkˈstrækt/.
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Extract comes from the Latin extrahere, meaning to draw out or pull out. The prefix ex- means outward, and trahere means to draw or pull. The word entered English through Old French estract or extracter in medieval times, preserving the sense of drawing something from its surroundings. In early scientific and legal usage, extract referred to pulling a portion of text or substance from a larger body, a meaning that persists in modern contexts such as extracting data, juice, or minerals. The evolution of extract tracks a path from tangible pulling (extracting a substance) to more abstract notions (extracting information or essence). The first known use in English can be traced to the 14th century with Latin and French intermediaries, gradually adopting the sense of separating a part from a whole, and later broadening to various domains like pharmacy, chemistry, and data processing. Over time, extract has acquired figurative meanings (extract the meaning, extract conclusions) while retaining its core sense of pulling something out from a larger context. The word’s morphological stability—root extrā- with the -tract suffix—helps encode both the outward motion and the act of drawing out.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Extract" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Extract"
-act sounds
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