American English

How to pronounce explanatory

adjectiveB2
ihkSPLAAnuhtoree

/ɪkˈsplæ.nəˌtɔɹi/

4 syllables · Stress the second syllable.

Giving information or reasons that help people understand something.

What to listen for

Say “explanatory” with the strongest beat on “plan”: /ɪkˈsplæ.nəˌtɔɹi/.

Practice out loud

Meanings & examples

adjective

Giving information or reasons that help people understand something.

The manual has an explanatory diagram.

He gave an explanatory answer after the mistake.

Common phrases & grammar

explanatory note · explanatory text · explanatory diagram · explanatory video

explanatory + noun

Useful expressions

self-explanatory

easy to understand without further explanation

The form is self-explanatory.

Related words & forms