Pronunciation

How to pronounce “attentive

“attentive” is pronounced /əˈtɛntɪv/ (uh-TEN-tiv) in American English and /ɐtɛntɪv/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “tɛn”.
The sound

Say “attentive” in 3 beats

Say it like this

attentive

/əˈtɛntɪv/

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

3 beats
  1. əə
  2. tɛntɛnstress
  3. tɪvtɪv
IPA (American)
/əˈtɛntɪv/
IPA (British)
/ɐtɛntɪv/
Respelling
uh-TEN-tiv
Syllables
3 — ə-TƐN-tɪv
Stress
Stress the second syllable: ə-TƐN-tɪv. “tɛn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/əˈtɛntɪv/

British

/ɐtɛntɪv/

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

Meaning

What “attentive” means

  1. adjective

    (often followed by `to') giving care or attention

    attentive to details

  2. adjective

    taking heed; giving close and thoughtful attention

    heedful of the warnings

Say it in a sentence

The staff were attentive without ever hovering.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 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

attentive”, answered

How do you pronounce “attentive”?

“attentive” is pronounced /əˈtɛntɪv/ (uh-TEN-tiv) in American English and /ɐtɛntɪv/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “tɛn”. Build it as ə-TƐN-tɪv, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “attentive” have?

3: ə · tɛn · tɪv. The beat lands on the second, “tɛn”.

Is “attentive” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /əˈtɛntɪv/ (uh-TEN-tiv); British English says /ɐtɛntɪv/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “attentive” mean?

As an adjective: (often followed by `to') giving care or attention For example: “attentive to details” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “attentive”?

Stress the second syllable: ə-TƐN-tɪv. “tɛn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “attentive” and see every sound

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