How to pronounce “insufficient”
Say “insufficient” in 4 beats
insufficient
/ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənt/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɪnsəfɪʃənt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- inɪn
- sufsə
- ficfɪstress
- ientʃənt
- IPA (American)
- /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənt/
- IPA (British)
- /ɪnsəfɪʃənt/
- Respelling
- in-suh-FI-shuhnt
- Syllables
- 4 — in-suf-FIC-ient
- Stress
- Stress the third syllable: in-suf-FIC-ient. “fic” 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
American and British are not the same here
/ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənt/
/ɪnsəfɪʃənt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “insufficient” means
- adjective
of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement
“insufficient funds”
Say it in a sentence
“One coat of varnish was insufficient for the kitchen table.”“insufficient”, answered
How do you pronounce “insufficient”?
“insufficient” is pronounced /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənt/ (in-suh-FI-shuhnt) in American English and /ɪnsəfɪʃənt/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “fic”. Build it as in-suf-FIC-ient, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “insufficient” have?
4: in · suf · fic · ient. The beat lands on the third, “fic”.
Is “insufficient” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənt/ (in-suh-FI-shuhnt); British English says /ɪnsəfɪʃənt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “insufficient” mean?
As an adjective: of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement For example: “insufficient funds”
Where is the stress in “insufficient”?
Stress the third syllable: in-suf-FIC-ient. “fic” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “insufficient” 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.