2 syllables: Re, cord. Stress on cord.
ruh-KAWRD
/ɹəˈkɔɹd/
Record is pronounced ruh-KAWRD (/ɹəˈkɔɹd/). It has two syllables (Re-cord), with the stress on "cord". Record as a word has two principal pronunciations: the noun refers to a documented achievement or collection, pronounced with the first syllable stressed (RE-cord). The verb meaning to capture audio or video uses stress on the second syllable (re-CORD). In rapid speech the vowel in the second syllable may reduce, but the contrast in stress remains a key cue for meaning. Overall, it signals a distinction between object and action.
nounRecord as a word has two principal pronunciations: the noun refers to a documented achievement or collection, pronounced with the first syllable stressed (RE-cord). The verb meaning to capture audio or video uses stress on the second syllable (re-CORD). In rapid speech the vowel in the second syllable may reduce, but the contrast in stress remains a key cue for meaning. Overall, it signals a distinction between object and action.
How to Pronounce Record
"I stored the old records in a safe cabinet."
"She set up the camera to record him speaking."
"This record shows your best time ever."
Record has two main pronunciations: the noun with stress on the first syllable (/ˈrɛkɔːd/ or /ˈrɛkərd/) and the verb with stress on the second syllable (/rɪˈkɔːd/ or /rɪˈkɔːd/). Start with a crisp /ˈrɛ/ for the first syllable, then a clear /kɔːd/ or /kərd/ for the second. Tip: keep the vowel in the second syllable shorter if you’re saying the verb quickly as /rɪˈkɔːd/. Audio reference: you can compare with native speech in Pronounce or Forvo.
Common mistakes: 1) Stressing the second syllable in the noun (saying /rɪˈkɔːd/ instead of /ˈrɛkɔːd/). 2) Flattening the vowel in the first syllable to a schwa across contexts. 3) Slurring the final /d/ into a nasal or /t/ sound in casual speech. Correction: practice two-hands drill—pronounce /ˈrɛkɔːd/ slowly, then replace with /rɪˈkɔːd/ for the verb, ensuring the final /d/ is a crisp alveolar stop with little voicing.
US tends to use /ˈrɛkɔːrd/ with a stronger rhotic /r/ in the final syllable, sometimes clustering as /ˈrɛkɔːə/ in rapid speech. UK commonly favors /ˈrɛkɔːd/ with less rhoticity and a crisper /d/ at the end; some speakers merge to /ˈrɪkɔːd/ in fast speech. Australian English typically aligns with non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech but retains a clear final /d/ in careful enunciation, often /ˈrɛkɔːd/. IPA notes: US /ˈrɛkɔːrd/, UK /ˈrɛkɔːd/, AU /ˈrɛkɔːd/.
The challenge lies in switching stress between noun and verb forms and maintaining a distinct vowel quality in the first syllable while keeping a crisp final /d/. For many speakers, the difference between /ˈrɛkɔːd/ and /rɪˈkɔːd/ requires precise timing and tongue positioning: fronted /r/, mid back /ɛ/ or /e/, and a rounded back /ɔː/ before a voiced /d/. Mastery comes from targeted contrast drills, so you can hear and produce the shift clearly.
Is the first syllable of 'record' always pronounced with the same vowel across contexts, or does it shift depending on the following sound or register? In practice, the noun tends to /ˈrɛkɔːd/ with a clear /ɛ/ in many dialects, while the verb can show a slightly reduced first vowel in fast speech as /rɪˈkɔːd/. This subtle vowel shift helps differentiate noun versus verb in fluent speech.
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US: rhotic /r/ in the second syllable; keep /ɔː/ length and wobble minimal. UK: often non-rhotic to some degree; keep /d/ crisp; first syllable often /ˈrɛkɔː/. AU: typically /ˈrɛkɔːd/ with clear /d/, some vowels may be tighter in fast speech. IPA references: US /ˈrɛkɔːrd/; UK /ˈrɛkɔːd/; AU /ˈrɛkɔːd/.
Record originates from the Old French record, from Late Latin recordum, meaning something that is yielded or a thing preserved. The Latin root record- stems from recorder, from recordari meaning to remember, to call to mind, composed of re- (again) and cor- (heart, core, memory). In English, the word appeared around the 14th century in legal and administrative contexts, used to denote a written account or registry. Over time, the noun sense expanded to include any documented compilation, including musical records, while the verb sense—“to record”—emerged later with the advent of recording technologies, retaining the core idea of capturing and preserving events or data for memory or evidential value. Modern usage spans data records in computing, while the musical and broadcasting senses often rely on “record” as both an action and a tangible item. The word’s evolution reflects shifts from memory and registry to multimedia capture, mirroring how societies value reproducible, permanent records of information. First known use in English appears in medieval legal contexts, with a sense recorded in dictionaries by the late 16th century; the contemporary dual pronunciation distinction solidified as technology and language usage diversified.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Record" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Record"
-ord sounds
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