How to Pronounce “assessment”

American (US)

/əˈsɛsmənt/

British (UK)

/əˈsɛsmənt/

noun — The act of assessing or an amount (of tax, levy or duty etc) assessed.

Where the stress falls. “assessment” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /əˈsɛsmənt/ 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. /əˈsɛsmənt/ 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 "assessment" mean?

assessment (noun): The act of assessing or an amount (of tax, levy or duty etc) assessed.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "assessment", /əˈsɛsmənt/, 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 "assessment"?

/əˈsɛsmənt/ in American English, /əˈsɛsmənt/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "assessment"?

“assessment” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /əˈsɛsmənt/ 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.

Cambridge C1/C2 Pronunciation — What Examiners Score in Speaking

How pronunciation is assessed at C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency, the stress-shift words that mark advanced vocabulary, and the errors that cap your band.