Pronunciation

How to pronounce “inadvertent

“inadvertent” is pronounced /ˌɪnədˈvɝtənt/ (i-nuhd-VUR-tuhnt) in American English and /ɪnɐdvɜːtənt/ in British English, and /ˌɪnædˈvɝtənt/ is also accepted — 4 syllables, stressed on “ver”.
The sound

Say “inadvertent” in 4 beats

Say it like this

inadvertent

/ˌɪnədˈvɝtənt/

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

4 beats
  1. inɪ
  2. adnəd
  3. verstress
  4. tenttənt
IPA (American)
/ˌɪnədˈvɝtənt/
IPA (British)
/ɪnɐdvɜːtənt/
Also accepted
/ˌɪnædˈvɝtənt/
Respelling
i-nuhd-VUR-tuhnt
Syllables
4 — in-ad-VER-tent
Stress
Stress the third syllable: in-ad-VER-tent. “ver” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Legend — spelling and sound part company here
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˌɪnədˈvɝtənt/

British

/ɪnɐdvɜːtənt/

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

Meaning

What “inadvertent” means

  1. adjective

    happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally

    with an inadvertent gesture she swept the vase off the table

Say it in a sentence

An inadvertent nudge sent the whole tray onto the floor.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 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

inadvertent”, answered

How do you pronounce “inadvertent”?

“inadvertent” is pronounced /ˌɪnədˈvɝtənt/ (i-nuhd-VUR-tuhnt) in American English and /ɪnɐdvɜːtənt/ in British English, and /ˌɪnædˈvɝtənt/ is also accepted — 4 syllables, stressed on “ver”. Build it as in-ad-VER-tent, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “inadvertent” have?

4: in · ad · ver · tent. The beat lands on the third, “ver”.

Is “inadvertent” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌɪnədˈvɝtənt/ (i-nuhd-VUR-tuhnt); British English says /ɪnɐdvɜːtənt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “inadvertent” mean?

As an adjective: happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally For example: “with an inadvertent gesture she swept the vase off the table”

Where is the stress in “inadvertent”?

Stress the third syllable: in-ad-VER-tent. “ver” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “inadvertent” 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.