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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “definite”

“definite” is pronounced /ˈdɛfənət/ (DE-fuh-nuht) in American English and /dɛfɪnət/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “dɛ”.
The sound

Say “definite” in 3 beats

Say it like this

definite

/ˈdɛfənət/

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

3 beats
  1. dɛdɛstress
  2. fəfə
  3. nətnət
IPA (American)
/ˈdɛfənət/
IPA (British)
/dɛfɪnət/
Respelling
DE-fuh-nuht
Syllables
3 — DƐ-fə-nət
Stress
Stress the first syllable: DƐ-fə-nət. “dɛ” 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

/ˈdɛfənət/

British

/dɛfɪnət/

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

Meaning

What “definite” means

  1. adjective

    precise; explicit and clearly defined

    “I want a definite answer”

  2. adjective

    known for certain

    “it is definite that they have won”

Say it in a sentence

“We need a definite answer before we book the hall.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
ddɛshort effəschwa×2nntt

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

Questions

“definite”, answered

How do you pronounce “definite”?

“definite” is pronounced /ˈdɛfənət/ (DE-fuh-nuht) in American English and /dɛfɪnət/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “dɛ”. Build it as DƐ-fə-nət, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “definite” have?

3: dɛ · fə · nət. The beat lands on the first, “dɛ”.

Is “definite” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈdɛfənət/ (DE-fuh-nuht); British English says /dɛfɪnət/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “definite” mean?

As an adjective: precise; explicit and clearly defined For example: “I want a definite answer” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “definite”?

Stress the first syllable: DƐ-fə-nət. “dɛ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

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