How To Pronounce Alternate

The stress in alternate moves depending on how the word is used.

Adjective. It is /ɔːlˈtɜː.nət/ or /ɔːlˈtɜː.nɪt/ in British English and /ˈɔːl.tər.nət/ in American English with the main stress on the second syllable, as in “an alternate plan”.

Verb. It is /ˈɔːl.tə.neɪt/ in British English and /ˈɔːl.tər.neɪt/ in American English with the main stress on the first syllable, as in “to alternate”.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.