How to Pronounce “president”

American (US)

/ˈpɹɛz.ɪ.dənt/

British (UK)

/ˈpɹɛz.ɪ.dənt/

Australian (AU)

/ˈpɹez.ɪ.dənt/

noun — The head of state of a republic, sometimes also the head of government as well, particularly the head of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States of America.

Example: The vast majority of presidents have been male.

Where the stress falls. “president” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈpɹɛz.ɪ.dənt/ 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. /ˈpɹɛz.ɪ.dənt/ 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 "president" mean?

president (noun): The head of state of a republic, sometimes also the head of government as well, particularly the head of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States of America. For example — The vast majority of presidents have been male.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "president", /ˈpɹɛz.ɪ.dənt/, 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 "president"?

/ˈpɹɛz.ɪ.dənt/ in American English, /ˈpɹɛz.ɪ.dənt/ in British English, /ˈpɹez.ɪ.dənt/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "president"?

“president” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈpɹɛz.ɪ.dənt/ 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.