How to Pronounce “incapacitate”

British (UK)

/ˌɪn.kəˈpæ.sɪ.teɪt/

verb — To make someone or something incapable of doing something; to disable.

Example: The police officer was incapacitated by a blow to the head.

The final e is silent. The transcription /ˌɪn.kəˈpæ.sɪ.teɪt/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “incapacitate” is not pronounced.

Where the stress falls. “incapacitate” has 5 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɪn.kəˈpæ.sɪ.teɪt/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌɪn.kəˈpæ.sɪ.teɪt/ 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 "incapacitate" mean?

incapacitate (verb): To make someone or something incapable of doing something; to disable. For example — The police officer was incapacitated by a blow to the head.

Which syllable is stressed in "incapacitate"?

“incapacitate” has 5 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɪn.kəˈpæ.sɪ.teɪt/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.