How to Pronounce “referendum”

American (US)

/ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/

British (UK)

/ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/

noun — A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment.

Example: a referendum on ….

Where the stress falls. “referendum” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/ 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 "referendum" mean?

referendum (noun): A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment. For example — a referendum on ….

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "referendum", /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/, 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 "referendum"?

/ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/ in American English, /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "referendum"?

“referendum” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.