/ɹɪˈmeɪn/
Say it backRemain means to stay in the same place or condition, or to continue to be in a particular state or role. It can be a verb (to stay) or a noun form in some contexts, though its primary usage is as a verb. In pronunciation terms, remain is a two-syllable word with primary stress on the second syllable in many verb uses (re-MAIN).
- You might flatten the second syllable into /mɛn/ or /men/ or compress it, reducing the diphthong to a short vowel. Try to keep /eɪ/ distinct before the final /n/. - You may insert an extra syllable or a/ə/ between /rɪ/ and /meɪn/ as in /rɪ-ə-meɪn/; avoid epenthesis by keeping a tight transition from /ɪ/ to /eɪ/. - Some speakers misplace the stress on the first syllable (RE-main) in verbs; remember the stress lands on the second syllable (re-MAIN) in standard usage. - In rapid speech, you might reduce /ɪ/ into a schwa; keep the /ɪ/ crisp to maintain the vowel contrast with /eɪ/.
"She chose to remain at her post despite the chaos."
"Only a few hours remained before the deadline."
"The committee will remain neutral until a vote is taken."
Remain is pronounced /rɪˈmeɪn/ in US, UK, and AU. The first syllable is lax and quick: /rɪ/ sounds like rid without the d. The second syllable carries the main stress with the diphthong /eɪ/ as in ‘day,’ followed by /n/. Ensure a crisp /m/ immediately before the /eɪ/. Mouth position: start with the tongue raised toward the ridge behind the upper teeth for /r/, then keep a relaxed jaw for /ɪ/ and finally slide into a clear /eɪ/ with closed lips before the final /n/.
Common mistakes include: 1) misplacing the stress, pronouncing as re-MAIN with equal emphasis on both syllables; 2) mispronouncing the second syllable as /mɛən/ or /men/ by shortening or flattening the diphthong; 3) adding an unnecessary schwa in the second syllable. Correction tips: stress the second syllable clearly: /rɪˈmeɪn/. Keep the /m/ directly before /eɪ/ with a quick transition. Practice with minimal pairs like rain/rein to feel the /eɪ/ quality before the nasal /n/.
Across accents, the core /rɪˈmeɪn/ remains, but rhoticity and vowel quality affect rhythm. US and AU generally maintain rhotic /r/; UK often has non-rhotic linking in some dialects, making the /r/ less audible before vowels, but in this word the /r/ is pronounced when followed by a vowel in connected speech. The /ɪ/ in the first syllable remains short; the /eɪ/ vowel can be slightly more rounded in US and AU; UK may show subtle length differences. Overall, the stress pattern stays on the second syllable.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable structure with a strong final diphthong /eɪ/ and the need to maintain crisp articulation between /r/ and /ɪ/ and then into /eɪ/. Some speakers new to English carry an overlong /ɪ/ or miscue the diphthong as /i:/ or /e/; others flatten the /eɪ/ into a pure /e/ or /i/. Mastery comes from precise tongue position for /r/ (bunched or retroflex), controlled lip rounding into /eɪ/, and a clean nasal /n/ without attaching syllable boundaries.
A unique aspect is maintaining the crisp secondary transition between /r/ and /ɪ/ and ensuring the diphthong /eɪ/ is distinct from the lax /ɪ/ of the first syllable. People often search for differentiating re and remint or rein in listening for the vowel shift. In practice, you should start with a light /r/ release into a short /ɪ/, then a precise, tall /eɪ/ with a firm mouth closure before the final /n/. This subtle timing is what distinguishes natural-sounding re- MAIN from mispronounced repeats.
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- US: rhotic /r/ with a rounded /eɪ/ and clear /n/. Ensure the /r/ is voiced and lightly curled, then drop into /ɪ/ quickly. - UK: can be slightly less retroflex; ensure non-rhoticity may influence the connection between /r/ and /ɪ/ in rapid speech, but in careful speech keep /r/ audible before vowels. - AU: often merges vowels closer to /ə/ in unstressed positions; still keep /eɪ/ distinct and finalize with a crisp /n/. IPA anchors: /rɪˈmeɪn/.
Remain derives from the Old French remaner, later remaner meaning to stay behind or stay back, from the Latin remanēre, where re- means back and manēre means to stay. The English form emerged in Middle English, retaining the sense of staying behind or continuing to be in a condition. Across centuries, the word broadened to include staying in place, continuing in a state, or continuing to exist. The core semantic field—staying, enduring—persisted through shifts in syntax and collocation. First recorded usage appears in medieval texts where rulers or communities described maintenance of position or status: e.g., to remain in power or to remain steadfast in war. In modern English, remain commonly collocates with verbs of motion or change (remain stable, remain constant, remain silent) and with time expressions (remain for months). Its pronunciation has been relatively stable, though vowel quality in some dialects has varied, particularly in pre-tonic vowels and secondary stress patterns. Overall, the word has retained a high-utility sense across formal and informal registers.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "remain" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "remain" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "remain"
-ain sounds
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