How to Pronounce “significance”

American (US)

/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/

British (UK)

/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/

noun — The extent to which something matters; importance.

Example: As a juror your opinion is of great significance for the outcome of the trial.

The final e is silent. The transcription /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “significance” is not pronounced.

Where the stress falls. “significance” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/ 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. /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/ 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 "significance" mean?

significance (noun): The extent to which something matters; importance. For example — As a juror your opinion is of great significance for the outcome of the trial.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "significance", /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/, 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 "significance"?

/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/ in American English, /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "significance"?

“significance” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/ 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.