How to pronounce “reference”
Say “reference” in 2 beats
reference
/ˈɹɛfɹəns/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈɹɛfəɹəns/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- ɹɛɹɛstress
- fɹənsfɹəns
- IPA (American)
- /ˈɹɛfɹəns/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈɹɛfəɹəns/
- Respelling
- REF-ruhns
- Syllables
- 2 — ɹƐ-fɹəns
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: ɹƐ-fɹəns. “ɹɛ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈɹɛfɹəns/
/ˈɹɛfəɹəns/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “reference” goes wrong
- Often heard
“ruh-FUR-ence”
the stress is on REF, unlike the verb refer
What “reference” means
- noun
a remark that calls attention to something or someone
“she made frequent mention of her promotion”
- noun
a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage
“the student's essay failed to list several important citations”
- noun
an indicator that orients you generally
“it is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved”
Say it in a sentence
“She asked her old manager for a reference.”“reference”, answered
How do you pronounce “reference”?
“reference” is pronounced /ˈɹɛfɹəns/ (REF-ruhns) in American English and /ˈɹɛfəɹəns/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ɹɛ”. Build it as ɹƐ-fɹəns, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “reference” have?
2: ɹɛ · fɹəns. The beat lands on the first, “ɹɛ”. Read letter by letter it looks like 3 (ruh-FUR-ence), and that careful version is not wrong — but ordinary speech runs it to 2.
Is “reference” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈɹɛfɹəns/ (REF-ruhns); British English says /ˈɹɛfəɹəns/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “reference” mean?
As a noun: a remark that calls attention to something or someone For example: “she made frequent mention of her promotion” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “reference”?
Stress the first syllable: ɹƐ-fɹəns. “ɹɛ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “reference” 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.