English pronunciation

How to pronounce “expect

Phonetic spelling

ik-SPEKT

IPA /ɪkˈspɛkt/

Syllable stress

ik·spekt

Stress falls on the highlighted syllable.

How do you spell “expect”?

e x p e c t

expect” is spelled E-X-P-E-C-T. It is pronounced ik-SPEKT, so the spelling and the sound do not match letter for letter. Listen to the audio above and say it aloud while you read the letters.

Hear it in a sentence

  • I expect it to rain this afternoon.

  • She didn't expect such a warm welcome.

Related words to practice