How to pronounce “proficient”
Say “proficient” in 3 beats
proficient
/pɹɑˈfɪʃənt/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /pɹəfɪʃənt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- profpɹɑ
- icfɪstress
- ientʃənt
- IPA (American)
- /pɹɑˈfɪʃənt/
- IPA (British)
- /pɹəfɪʃənt/
- Respelling
- prah-FI-shuhnt
- Syllables
- 3 — prof-IC-ient
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: prof-IC-ient. “ic” 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
/pɹɑˈfɪʃənt/
/pɹəfɪʃənt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “proficient” means
- adjective
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
“adept in handicrafts”
- adjective
of or relating to technique or proficiency in a practical skill
“his technical innovation was his brushwork”
Say it in a sentence
“He became proficient on the fiddle in a single winter.”“proficient”, answered
How do you pronounce “proficient”?
“proficient” is pronounced /pɹɑˈfɪʃənt/ (prah-FI-shuhnt) in American English and /pɹəfɪʃənt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “ic”. Build it as prof-IC-ient, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “proficient” have?
3: prof · ic · ient. The beat lands on the second, “ic”.
Is “proficient” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /pɹɑˈfɪʃənt/ (prah-FI-shuhnt); British English says /pɹəfɪʃənt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “proficient” mean?
As an adjective: having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude For example: “adept in handicrafts” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “proficient”?
Stress the second syllable: prof-IC-ient. “ic” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “proficient” 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.