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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “candidate”

“candidate” is pronounced /ˈkændədeɪt/ (KAN-duh-dayt) in American English and /kandɪdeɪt/ in British English, and /ˈkænədɪt/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “kæn”.
The sound

Say “candidate” in 3 beats

Say it like this

candidate

/ˈkændədeɪt/

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

3 beats
  1. kænkænstress
  2. dədə
  3. deɪtdeɪt
IPA (American)
/ˈkændədeɪt/
IPA (British)
/kandɪdeɪt/
Also accepted
/ˈkænədɪt/
Respelling
KAN-duh-dayt
Syllables
3 — KÆN-də-deɪt
Stress
Stress the first syllable: KÆN-də-deɪt. “kæn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall 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

/ˈkændədeɪt/

British

/kandɪdeɪt/

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

Meaning

What “candidate” means

  1. noun

    a politician who is running for public office

  2. noun

    someone who is considered for something (for an office or prize or honor etc.)

Say it in a sentence

“Every candidate was asked the same four questions.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them
kkæshort anndd×2əschwaeɪlong att

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

Questions

“candidate”, answered

How do you pronounce “candidate”?

“candidate” is pronounced /ˈkændədeɪt/ (KAN-duh-dayt) in American English and /kandɪdeɪt/ in British English, and /ˈkænədɪt/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “kæn”. Build it as KÆN-də-deɪt, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “candidate” have?

3: kæn · də · deɪt. The beat lands on the first, “kæn”.

Is “candidate” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈkændədeɪt/ (KAN-duh-dayt); British English says /kandɪdeɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “candidate” mean?

As a noun: a politician who is running for public office For example: “Every candidate was asked the same four questions.” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “candidate”?

Stress the first syllable: KÆN-də-deɪt. “kæn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “candidate” and see every sound

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