How to Pronounce “consensus”

American (US)

/kənˈsɛnsəs/

British (UK)

/kənˈsɛnsəs/

noun — General agreement among a group.

Example: The committee reached a consensus after two hours.

Synonyms: agreement, accord

Antonyms: disagreement

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

consensus (noun): General agreement among a group. For example — The committee reached a consensus after two hours.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "consensus", /kənˈsɛnsəs/, 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 "consensus"?

/kənˈsɛnsəs/ in American English, /kənˈsɛnsəs/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "consensus"?

“consensus” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /kənˈsɛnsəs/ 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.

• Business meeting words