How to Pronounce “designate”

American (US)

/ˈdɛz.ɪɡ.nət/

British (UK)

/ˈdɛz.ɪɡ.nət/

Australian (AU)

/ˈdez.ɪɡ.nət/

adjective — Designated; appointed; chosen.

The final e is silent. The transcription /ˈdɛz.ɪɡ.nət/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “designate” is not pronounced.

Where the stress falls. “designate” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdɛz.ɪɡ.nət/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈdɛz.ɪɡ.nət/ 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 "designate" mean?

designate (adjective): Designated; appointed; chosen.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "designate", /ˈdɛz.ɪɡ.nət/, 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 "designate"?

/ˈdɛz.ɪɡ.nət/ in American English, /ˈdɛz.ɪɡ.nət/ in British English, /ˈdez.ɪɡ.nət/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "designate"?

“designate” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdɛz.ɪɡ.nət/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.