Accent LabYour browser has no British voice installed, so playback may sound American. On iPhone and Mac, add one in Settings → Accessibility → Spoken Content → Voices → English (UK).
Why "example" sounds different in British English
RP has /ɪɡˈzɑːmpl̩/, American English /ɪɡˈzæmpl̩/. The difference is the stressed vowel: a long back /ɑː/ against the short front vowel of "cat". "Sample" works the same way in RP, but "ample" and "trample" keep the short vowel, a good reminder that BATH words have to be learned one by one.
In both accents the X before a stressed vowel becomes /ɡz/, as in "exam" and "exact", not the /ks/ of "exercise". The first vowel is a weak /ɪ/, sometimes reduced to a schwa, and the ending is a syllabic L with no full vowel before it.
How to say "example" like a Brit, step by step
- Start with a quick, unstressed ig, voicing the G.
- Use a buzzing z, not an S, then a long ZAHM.
- Close your lips for p and release it straight into a dark l.
- Put the weight on the middle syllable: ig-ZAHM-p'l.
Practise "example" in a sentence
- Could you give me an example?
- Her work is a fine example of Victorian design.
- For example, many British people say "half seven" for 7.30.
Saying it once correctly is easy. Saying it right in the middle of a fast sentence is the hard part, which is why the sentences above matter more than the single word.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce example in a British accent?
In Received Pronunciation, example is pronounced /ɪɡˈzɑːmpl̩/, roughly "ig-ZAHM-puhl". The stress is on the second syllable, which has a long "ah": ig-ZAHM-puhl.
Is the American pronunciation of example wrong?
No. /ɪɡˈzæmpl̩/ is standard in American English. Both are correct, they simply belong to different accents. If you are learning a British accent, aim for /ɪɡˈzɑːmpl̩/.