Pronunciation

How to pronounce “consequence

“consequence” is pronounced /ˈkɑnsəkwəns/ (KAHN-suh-kwuhns) in American English and /kɒnsɪkwəns/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “kɑn”.
The sound

Say “consequence” in 3 beats

Say it like this

consequence

/ˈkɑnsəkwəns/

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

3 beats
  1. kɑnkɑnstress
  2. kwənskwəns
IPA (American)
/ˈkɑnsəkwəns/
IPA (British)
/kɒnsɪkwəns/
Respelling
KAHN-suh-kwuhns
Syllables
3 — KⱭN-sə-kwəns
Stress
Stress the first syllable: KⱭN-sə-kwəns. “kɑn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈkɑnsəkwəns/

British

/kɒnsɪkwəns/

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

Meaning

What “consequence” means

  1. noun

    a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

    the magnetic effect was greater when the rod was lengthwise

  2. noun

    the outcome of an event especially as relative to an individual

  3. noun

    having important effects or influence

    decisions of great consequence are made by the president himself

Say it in a sentence

The consequence of the delay was a much higher bill.
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

consequence”, answered

How do you pronounce “consequence”?

“consequence” is pronounced /ˈkɑnsəkwəns/ (KAHN-suh-kwuhns) in American English and /kɒnsɪkwəns/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “kɑn”. Build it as KⱭN-sə-kwəns, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “consequence” have?

3: kɑn · sə · kwəns. The beat lands on the first, “kɑn”.

Is “consequence” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈkɑnsəkwəns/ (KAHN-suh-kwuhns); British English says /kɒnsɪkwəns/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “consequence” mean?

As a noun: a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon For example: “the magnetic effect was greater when the rod was lengthwise” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “consequence”?

Stress the first syllable: KⱭN-sə-kwəns. “kɑn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “consequence” and see every sound

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