How to Pronounce “difference”

American (US)

/ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/

British (UK)

/ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/

Australian (AU)

/ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/

noun — The quality of being different.

Example: You need to learn to be more tolerant of difference.

The final e is silent. The transcription /ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “difference” is not pronounced.

Where the stress falls. “difference” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/ 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. /ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/ 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 "difference" mean?

difference (noun): The quality of being different. For example — You need to learn to be more tolerant of difference.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "difference", /ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/, 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 "difference"?

/ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/ in American English, /ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/ in British English, /ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "difference"?

“difference” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdɪf.(ə.)ɹəns/ 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.

American vs British Pronunciation — What Actually Differs

The five differences that account for most of the gap between American and British English, each with words you can play in both accents.

English Homophones — Words That Sound the Same, With Audio

Hear which words are genuinely identical in sound, which only nearly are, and which look identical on the page but are said two completely different ways.

S vs SH — How to Pronounce Both Sounds

S and sh are both hisses, but the tongue tip stays at the teeth for s and pulls back for sh. Pairs like seat and sheet show how much meaning rests on the contrast.