How To Pronounce Understand

In British English, understand is pronounced /ˌʌn.dəˈstænd/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˌʌ̃n.dəʴˈstæ̃nd̚]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˌʌn.dərˈstænd/.

Understand has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the third syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

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.