How to pronounce “debate”
Say “debate” in 2 beats
debate
/dəˈbeɪt/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /dɪbeɪt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- dədə
- beɪtbeɪtstress
- IPA (American)
- /dəˈbeɪt/
- IPA (British)
- /dɪbeɪt/
- Respelling
- duh-BAYT
- Syllables
- 2 — də-BEꞮT
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: də-BEꞮT. “beɪt” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/dəˈbeɪt/
/dɪbeɪt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “debate” means
- noun
a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal
“the argument over foreign aid goes on and on”
- noun
the formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote)
- verb
argue with one another
“We debated the question of abortion”
Say it in a sentence
“The debate about the new car park lasted three hours.”“debate”, answered
How do you pronounce “debate”?
“debate” is pronounced /dəˈbeɪt/ (duh-BAYT) in American English and /dɪbeɪt/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “beɪt”. Build it as də-BEꞮT, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “debate” have?
2: də · beɪt. The beat lands on the second, “beɪt”.
Is “debate” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /dəˈbeɪt/ (duh-BAYT); British English says /dɪbeɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “debate” mean?
As a noun: a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal For example: “the argument over foreign aid goes on and on” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “debate”?
Stress the second syllable: də-BEꞮT. “beɪt” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “debate” 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.