How to Pronounce “epitome”

American (US)

/ɪˈpɪtəmi/

British (UK)

/ɪˈpɪtəmi/

Australian (AU)

/ɪˈpɪt.ə.mi/

noun — A perfect example of a quality or type.

Example: His quiet generosity was the epitome of good manners.

Synonyms: embodiment, quintessence, archetype

A loanword from Greek. A Greek borrowing keeps its final vowel: this is a four-syllable word, “ih-PIT-uh-mee”. Reading it as an English silent-e word gives the very common wrong “EP-i-tohm”.

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

epitome (noun): A perfect example of a quality or type. For example — His quiet generosity was the epitome of good manners.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "epitome", /ɪˈpɪtəmi/, 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 "epitome"?

/ɪˈpɪtəmi/ in American English, /ɪˈpɪtəmi/ in British English, /ɪˈpɪt.ə.mi/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "epitome"?

“epitome” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ɪˈpɪtəmi/ 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.

• Advanced pronunciation words