Pronunciation

How to pronounce “agent

“agent” is pronounced /ˈeɪdʒənt/ (AY-juhnt) in American English and /eɪdʒənt/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ag”.
The sound

Say “agent” in 2 beats

Say it like this

agent

/ˈeɪdʒənt/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /eɪdʒənt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. agstress
  2. entdʒənt
IPA (American)
/ˈeɪdʒənt/
IPA (British)
/eɪdʒənt/
Respelling
AY-juhnt
Syllables
2 — AG-ent
Stress
Stress the first syllable: AG-ent. “ag” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈeɪdʒənt/

British

/eɪdʒənt/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “agent” means

  1. noun

    an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect

    their research uncovered new disease agents

  2. noun

    a representative who acts on behalf of other persons or organizations

  3. noun

    a substance that exerts some force or effect

Say it in a sentence

She hired an agent to help sell the old farmhouse.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

agent”, answered

How do you pronounce “agent”?

“agent” is pronounced /ˈeɪdʒənt/ (AY-juhnt) in American English and /eɪdʒənt/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ag”. Build it as AG-ent, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “agent” have?

2: ag · ent. The beat lands on the first, “ag”.

Is “agent” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈeɪdʒənt/ (AY-juhnt); British English says /eɪdʒənt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “agent” mean?

As a noun: an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect For example: “their research uncovered new disease agents” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “agent”?

Stress the first syllable: AG-ent. “ag” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “agent” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.