How to Pronounce “persistence”

British (UK)

/pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/

noun — The property of being persistent.

Example: You've got to admire her persistence. She's asked him out every day for a month even though she keeps turning him down.

The final e is silent. The transcription /pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “persistence” is not pronounced.

Where the stress falls. “persistence” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/ 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. /pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/ 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 "persistence" mean?

persistence (noun): The property of being persistent. For example — You've got to admire her persistence. She's asked him out every day for a month even though she keeps turning him down.

Which syllable is stressed in "persistence"?

“persistence” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/ 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.