Heteronym

How do you pronounce "project"?

"Project" has two different pronunciations with two different meanings. Say PROJ-ekt when it means a planned piece of work (noun), and pruh-JEKT when it means to forecast, or throw forward (verb). Which one is correct depends entirely on the sentence.

Hear both pronunciations

noun

PROJ-ekt

a planned piece of work

We finished the project.

verb

pruh-JEKT

to forecast, or throw forward

Sales project to rise.

Each button speaks the respelling, not the spelling — otherwise the speech engine would pick a single default pronunciation for both senses.

Side by side

PronunciationPart of speechMeaning
PROJ-ektnouna planned piece of work
pruh-JEKTverbto forecast, or throw forward

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce "project"?

"Project" has two different pronunciations with two different meanings. Say PROJ-ekt when it means a planned piece of work (noun), and pruh-JEKT when it means to forecast, or throw forward (verb). Which one is correct depends entirely on the sentence.

What does "project" mean when it is pronounced PROJ-ekt?

Pronounced PROJ-ekt, "project" is a noun meaning a planned piece of work. For example: "We finished the project."

What does "project" mean when it is pronounced pruh-JEKT?

Pronounced pruh-JEKT, "project" is a verb meaning to forecast, or throw forward. For example: "Sales project to rise."

Why does "project" have two pronunciations?

"Project" is a heteronym: two distinct words that happen to be spelled the same way. English spelling did not standardise around pronunciation, so unrelated words sometimes converged on one spelling while keeping separate sounds.

More heteronyms

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See the full entry for “project, browse all 76 heteronyms and stress pairs, or learn how English stress works.