How to Pronounce “subjective”

American (US)

/səbˈd͡ʒɛktɪv/

British (UK)

/səbˈd͡ʒɛktɪv/

adjective — Formed, as in opinions, based upon a person's feelings or intuition, rather than upon observation or purely logical reasoning; coming more from within the observer than from observations of the external environment.

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

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

subjective (adjective): Formed, as in opinions, based upon a person's feelings or intuition, rather than upon observation or purely logical reasoning; coming more from within the observer than from observations of the external environment.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "subjective", /səbˈd͡ʒɛktɪv/, 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 "subjective"?

/səbˈd͡ʒɛktɪv/ in American English, /səbˈd͡ʒɛktɪv/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "subjective"?

“subjective” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /səbˈd͡ʒɛktɪv/ 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.