How to Pronounce “pedagogue”

American (US)

/ˈpɛdəɡɒɡ/

British (UK)

/ˈpɛdəɡɒɡ/

noun — A teacher or instructor of children; one whose occupation is to teach the young.

The final e is silent. The transcription /ˈpɛdəɡɒɡ/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “pedagogue” is not pronounced.

Where the stress falls. “pedagogue” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈpɛdəɡɒɡ/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈpɛdəɡɒɡ/ 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 "pedagogue" mean?

pedagogue (noun): A teacher or instructor of children; one whose occupation is to teach the young.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "pedagogue", /ˈpɛdəɡɒɡ/, 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 "pedagogue"?

/ˈpɛdəɡɒɡ/ in American English, /ˈpɛdəɡɒɡ/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "pedagogue"?

“pedagogue” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈpɛdəɡɒɡ/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.