How to Pronounce “benevolent”

American (US)

/bəˈnɛvələnt/

British (UK)

/bəˈnɛvələnt/

adjective — Having a disposition to do good.

Example: Chinese and Eastern mythologies describe dragons as benevolent.

Where the stress falls. “benevolent” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /bəˈnɛvələnt/ 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. /bəˈnɛvələnt/ 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 "benevolent" mean?

benevolent (adjective): Having a disposition to do good. For example — Chinese and Eastern mythologies describe dragons as benevolent.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "benevolent", /bəˈnɛvələnt/, 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 "benevolent"?

/bəˈnɛvələnt/ in American English, /bəˈnɛvələnt/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "benevolent"?

“benevolent” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /bəˈnɛvələnt/ 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.