How to Pronounce “prevalent”

American (US)

/ˈpɹɛvələnt/

British (UK)

/ˈpɹɛvələnt/

Australian (AU)

/ˈpɹevələnt/

adjective — Widespread in a particular area or at a particular time.

Example: The practice is still prevalent in smaller firms.

Synonyms: widespread, common

Antonyms: rare

Where the stress falls. “prevalent” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈpɹɛvələnt/ 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. /ˈpɹɛvələnt/ 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 "prevalent" mean?

prevalent (adjective): Widespread in a particular area or at a particular time. For example — The practice is still prevalent in smaller firms.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "prevalent", /ˈpɹɛvələnt/, 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 "prevalent"?

/ˈpɹɛvələnt/ in American English, /ˈpɹɛvələnt/ in British English, /ˈpɹevələnt/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "prevalent"?

“prevalent” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈpɹɛvələnt/ 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.