How to Pronounce “possess”

American (US)

/pəˈzɛs/

British (UK)

/pəˈzɛs/

Australian (AU)

/pəˈzes/

verb — To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own.

Example: He does not even possess a working telephone.

Where the stress falls. “possess” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /pəˈzɛs/ 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. /pəˈzɛs/ 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 "possess" mean?

possess (verb): To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own. For example — He does not even possess a working telephone.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "possess", /pəˈzɛs/, 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 "possess"?

/pəˈzɛs/ in American English, /pəˈzɛs/ in British English, /pəˈzes/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "possess"?

“possess” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /pəˈzɛs/ 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.