How to Pronounce “different”

American (US)

/ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt/

British (UK)

/ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt/

adjective — Not the same; exhibiting a difference.

Example: — Is your grandpa any better? — No different. Still ill.

Where the stress falls. “different” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt/ 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.ɹənt/ 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 "different" mean?

different (adjective): Not the same; exhibiting a difference. For example — — Is your grandpa any better? — No different. Still ill.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "different", /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt/, 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 "different"?

/ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt/ in American English, /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "different"?

“different” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt/ 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.

Homographs Pronunciation — Same Spelling, Two Sounds

Words spelled identically but said differently — lead, read, wind, tear and friends — with audio for every pronunciation and the pattern that explains them.

US vs UK Word Pronunciations — 8 Words That Differ

Schedule, route, aluminium, garage, vitamin, vase, advertisement and privacy — the eight everyday words Americans and Brits say differently, with audio in both accents.

• Words that lose a syllable
• Easy English words to pronounce