How to Pronounce “adolescent”

American (US)

/ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/

British (UK)

/ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/

adjective — Of, relating to, or at the age of adolescence; at the stage between being a child and an adult.

Where the stress falls. “adolescent” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "adolescent" mean?

adolescent (adjective): Of, relating to, or at the age of adolescence; at the stage between being a child and an adult.

How do you pronounce "adolescent" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "adolescent", /ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "adolescent"?

/ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/ in American English, /ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "adolescent"?

“adolescent” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.