How to pronounce “frequent”
“frequent” is said two ways
/ˈfɹikwənt/
FREE-kwuhnt
Meaning often. Beat on FREE, second syllable reduced.
/fɹiˈkwɛnt/
free-KWENT
To visit somewhere often. Beat on KWENT, with a full e.
Listen for the beat, not the letters
One syllable gets longer, louder and a step higher, and the other one collapses towards a schwa. Say the whole sentence rather than the word on its own and let the grammar pull the beat where it belongs.Both forms live in one sentence here: “They frequent the same cafe, so frequent sightings are no surprise.”Each button plays a short phrase rather than the bare word: the model voice takes its stress from the words around it, so asking it for “frequent” on its own would play one reading twice instead of the adjective and the verb. Read the transcription as you listen.
Say “frequent” in 2 beats
frequent
/ˈfɹikwənt/
Everything in this card describes the adjective form. As a verb it is /fɹiˈkwɛnt/.
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈfɹiːkwənt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- freqfɹistress
- uentkwənt
- IPA (American)
- /ˈfɹikwənt/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈfɹiːkwənt/
- Respelling
- FREE-kwuhnt (adjective) · free-KWENT (verb)
- Syllables
- 2 — FREQ-uent
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: FREQ-uent. “freq” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- verb, adjective
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
This is the adjective form in two accents — a separate question from the two pronunciations above, which are the same accent saying two different words.
/ˈfɹikwənt/
/ˈfɹiːkwənt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “frequent” goes wrong
- Often heard
“FREE-kwuhnt the same cafe”
visiting is free-KWENT; FREE-kwuhnt is the adjective
What “frequent” means
- verb
do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
- verb
be a regular or frequent visitor to a certain place
“She haunts the ballet”
- adjective
coming at short intervals or habitually
“a frequent guest”
Say it in a sentence
“They frequent the same cafe, so frequent sightings are no surprise.”“frequent”, answered
How do you pronounce “frequent”?
“frequent” has two pronunciations: /ˈfɹikwənt/ as an adjective and /fɹiˈkwɛnt/ as a verb — the part of speech decides which. The spelling never changes; the beat does, and the vowels reshape around wherever it lands. The transcription and syllable breakdown below describe the adjective form. Build it as FREQ-uent, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “frequent” have?
2: freq · uent. The beat lands on the first, “freq”.
Which pronunciation of “frequent” is correct?
Both are. /ˈfɹikwənt/ (FREE-kwuhnt) as an adjective; /fɹiˈkwɛnt/ (free-KWENT) as a verb. Nothing about the spelling tells you which — the sentence does. Move the beat and the word changes its job mid-sentence, which is why both are worth drilling. Both appear here: “They frequent the same cafe, so frequent sightings are no surprise.”
Is “frequent” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈfɹikwənt/ (FREE-kwuhnt); British English says /ˈfɹiːkwənt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “frequent” mean?
As a verb: do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of For example: “They frequent the same cafe, so frequent sightings are no surprise.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “frequent”?
Stress the first syllable: FREQ-uent. “freq” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “frequent” 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.