How To Pronounce Compact

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

Noun. It is /ˈkɒm.pækt/ in British English and /ˈkɑːm.pækt/ in American English with the main stress on the first syllable, as in “a powder compact”.

Adjective. It is /kəmˈpækt/ in British English and /kəmˈpækt/ in American English with the main stress on the second syllable, as in “a compact car”.

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.