How to Pronounce “indignant”

American (US)

/ɪnˈdɪɡ.nənt/

British (UK)

/ɪnˈdɪɡ.nənt/

adjective — Showing anger or indignation, especially at something unjust or wrong.

Example: indignant dissent.

Where the stress falls. “indignant” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ɪnˈdɪɡ.nənt/ 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. /ɪnˈdɪɡ.nənt/ 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 "indignant" mean?

indignant (adjective): Showing anger or indignation, especially at something unjust or wrong. For example — indignant dissent.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "indignant", /ɪnˈdɪɡ.nənt/, 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 "indignant"?

/ɪnˈdɪɡ.nənt/ in American English, /ɪnˈdɪɡ.nənt/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "indignant"?

“indignant” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ɪnˈdɪɡ.nənt/ 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.