Pronunciation

How to pronounce “condemn

“condemn” is pronounced /kənˈdɛm/ (kuhn-DEM) in American English and /kəndɛm/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “demn”.
The sound

Say “condemn” in 2 beats

Say it like this

condemn

/kənˈdɛm/

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

2 beats
  1. conkən
  2. demndɛmstress
IPA (American)
/kənˈdɛm/
IPA (British)
/kəndɛm/
Respelling
kuhn-DEM
Syllables
2 — con-DEMN
Stress
Stress the second syllable: con-DEMN. “demn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/kənˈdɛm/

British

/kəndɛm/

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

Meaning

What “condemn” means

  1. verb

    express strong disapproval of

    We condemn the racism in South Africa

  2. verb

    declare or judge unfit for use or habitation

    The building was condemned by the inspector

  3. verb

    compel or force into a particular state or activity

    His devotion to his sick wife condemned him to a lonely existence

Say it in a sentence

The council voted to condemn the building as unsafe.
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

condemn”, answered

How do you pronounce “condemn”?

“condemn” is pronounced /kənˈdɛm/ (kuhn-DEM) in American English and /kəndɛm/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “demn”. Build it as con-DEMN, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “condemn” have?

2: con · demn. The beat lands on the second, “demn”.

Is “condemn” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /kənˈdɛm/ (kuhn-DEM); British English says /kəndɛm/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “condemn” mean?

As a verb: express strong disapproval of For example: “We condemn the racism in South Africa” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “condemn”?

Stress the second syllable: con-DEMN. “demn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “condemn” 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.