Pronunciation

How to pronounce “confidential

“confidential” is pronounced /ˌkɑnfəˈdɛnʃəl/ (kahn-fuh-DEN-shuhl) in American English and /kɒnfɪdɛnʃəl/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “en”.
The sound

Say “confidential” in 4 beats

Say it like this

confidential

/ˌkɑnfəˈdɛnʃəl/

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

4 beats
  1. conkɑn
  2. fid
  3. endɛnstress
  4. tialʃəl
IPA (American)
/ˌkɑnfəˈdɛnʃəl/
IPA (British)
/kɒnfɪdɛnʃəl/
Respelling
kahn-fuh-DEN-shuhl
Syllables
4 — con-fid-EN-tial
Stress
Stress the third syllable: con-fid-EN-tial. “en” 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

/ˌkɑnfəˈdɛnʃəl/

British

/kɒnfɪdɛnʃəl/

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

Meaning

What “confidential” means

  1. adjective

    entrusted with private information and the confidence of another

    a confidential secretary

  2. adjective

    (of information) given in confidence or in secret

    this arrangement must be kept confidential

  3. adjective

    denoting confidence or intimacy

    a confidential approach

Say it in a sentence

The file is confidential and must stay in this office.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

9 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

confidential”, answered

How do you pronounce “confidential”?

“confidential” is pronounced /ˌkɑnfəˈdɛnʃəl/ (kahn-fuh-DEN-shuhl) in American English and /kɒnfɪdɛnʃəl/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “en”. Build it as con-fid-EN-tial, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “confidential” have?

4: con · fid · en · tial. The beat lands on the third, “en”.

Is “confidential” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌkɑnfəˈdɛnʃəl/ (kahn-fuh-DEN-shuhl); British English says /kɒnfɪdɛnʃəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “confidential” mean?

As an adjective: entrusted with private information and the confidence of another For example: “a confidential secretary” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “confidential”?

Stress the third syllable: con-fid-EN-tial. “en” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “confidential” and see every sound

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