How to Pronounce “inefficient”

American (US)

/ˌɪn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ənt/

British (UK)

/ˌɪn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ənt/

adjective — Not efficient; not producing the effect intended or desired; inefficacious.

Example: Celery is an inefficient food.

Where the stress falls. “inefficient” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɪn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ənt/ 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.ɪˈfɪʃ.ənt/ 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 "inefficient" mean?

inefficient (adjective): Not efficient; not producing the effect intended or desired; inefficacious. For example — Celery is an inefficient food.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "inefficient", /ˌɪn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ənt/, 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 "inefficient"?

/ˌɪn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ənt/ in American English, /ˌɪn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ənt/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "inefficient"?

“inefficient” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɪn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ənt/ 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.