How to pronounce “assume”
Say “assume” in 2 beats
assume
/əˈsum/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɐsjuːm/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- əə
- sumsumstress
- IPA (American)
- /əˈsum/
- IPA (British)
- /ɐsjuːm/
- Respelling
- uh-SOOM
- Syllables
- 2 — ə-SUM
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: ə-SUM. “sum” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/əˈsum/
/ɐsjuːm/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “assume” means
- verb
take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof
“I assume his train was late”
- verb
take on titles, offices, duties, responsibilities
“When will the new President assume office?”
- verb
take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect
“His voice took on a sad tone”
Say it in a sentence
“Do not assume the shop will be open on Sunday.”“assume”, answered
How do you pronounce “assume”?
“assume” is pronounced /əˈsum/ (uh-SOOM) in American English and /ɐsjuːm/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “sum”. Build it as ə-SUM, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “assume” have?
2: ə · sum. The beat lands on the second, “sum”.
Is “assume” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /əˈsum/ (uh-SOOM); British English says /ɐsjuːm/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “assume” mean?
As a verb: take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof For example: “I assume his train was late” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “assume”?
Stress the second syllable: ə-SUM. “sum” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “assume” 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.