How to Pronounce “opinion”

American (US)

/əˈpɪn.jən/

British (UK)

/əˈpɪn.jən/

noun — A belief, judgment or perspective that a person has formed, either through objective or subjective reasoning, about a topic, issue, person or thing.

Example: I would like to know your opinions on the new filing system.

Where the stress falls. “opinion” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /əˈpɪn.jən/ 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. /əˈpɪn.jən/ 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 "opinion" mean?

opinion (noun): A belief, judgment or perspective that a person has formed, either through objective or subjective reasoning, about a topic, issue, person or thing. For example — I would like to know your opinions on the new filing system.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "opinion", /əˈpɪn.jən/, 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 "opinion"?

/əˈpɪn.jən/ in American English, /əˈpɪn.jən/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "opinion"?

“opinion” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /əˈpɪn.jən/ 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.