How to pronounce "surplus"

surplus

Sports & Recreation
American
/ˈsɜr.pləs/

Syllable Breakdown

sur plus

How natives say surplus

British
/ˈsɜː.pləs/

Syllable Breakdown

sur plus

How natives say surplus

Pronunciation Guide In American

Pronunciation Steps

  • Start with the 's' sound, pronounced like 's' in 'see'.

  • Add 'ɜr', similar to 'sir' but with a tighter mouth.

  • Finish with 'pləs'. Use a soft 'p' and light 'l' with an unstressed 'əs'.

Common Mistakes

  • misplacing stress (sur-plus instead of SUR-plus)

  • adding extra syllables (sur-plu-es)

  • confusing 'ɜr' with 'ər'

Pronunciation Guide In British

Pronunciation Steps

  • Start with the 's' sound, like 's' in 'sea'.

  • Continue with 'ɜː', pronounced longer as in 'sir'.

  • End with 'pləs', keeping the 'p' and 'l' soft followed by a relaxed 'əs'.

common mistakes

  • misplacing stress (sur-plus instead of SUR-plus)

  • adding extra syllables (sur-plu-es)

  • confusing 'ɜː' with 'ə'

FAQ

Why is the first syllable stressed?

In both AmE and BrE, 'surplus' has the stress on the first syllable, typical for nouns.

Is the 'r' pronounced?

In American English, yes. In British English, it's not pronounced prominently.

How to pronounce 'ʌ' in 'pləs'?

It's like the 'u' in 'cup', but shorter and softer.

Definition

surplus

Extra amount of something.

Word Family

surpass

/sərˈpæs/

verb

To do better than something.

Example: She hopes to surpass her previous score.

surface

/ˈsɜr.fɪs/

noun

The outer or top part.

Example: The surface of the table is shiny.

surreal

/səˈriː.əl/

adjective

Strange and dreamlike.

Example: The painting has a surreal quality.

Key Pronunciation Differences

Stress difference in first vs. second syllable with 'surpass'.

The vowel sound in 'surface' (ɜr vs. ɪs).

Different stress pattern and vowel sounds in 'surreal'.

Pro Tips

Practice the 'ɜr' Sound

Say 'sir' to get comfortable with 'ɜr'.

Stress Highlighting

Mark the stressed syllable when you write to remember.

Nearby Words

Test Your Pronunciation On Words That Have Sound Similarities With Surplus

adventure

/ədˈvɛntʃər/

amateur

/ˈæm.ə.tʃɚ/

appeal

/əˈpil/

appreciate

/əˈpriʃiˌeɪt/

athlete

/ˈæθ.liːt/

ball

/bɔl/

basin

/ˈbeɪ.sən/

basket

/ˈbæskɪt/

Other Categories

Test Your Pronunciation On Words Within Other Categories

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abroad

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agenda