How to Pronounce “ascent”

American (US)

/əˈsɛnt/

British (UK)

/əˈsɛnt/

Australian (AU)

/əˈsent/

noun — The act of ascending; a motion upwards.

Example: He made a tedious ascent of Mont Blanc.

Where the stress falls. “ascent” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /əˈsɛnt/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /əˈsɛnt/ 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 "ascent" mean?

ascent (noun): The act of ascending; a motion upwards. For example — He made a tedious ascent of Mont Blanc.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "ascent", /əˈsɛnt/, 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 "ascent"?

/əˈsɛnt/ in American English, /əˈsɛnt/ in British English, /əˈsent/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "ascent"?

“ascent” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /əˈsɛnt/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

• Silent C words