How to Pronounce “sufficient”

American (US)

/səˈfɪʃənt/

British (UK)

/səˈfɪʃənt/

determiner — An adequate quantity of; enough.

Example: We have sufficient supplies to last the winter.

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

sufficient (determiner): An adequate quantity of; enough. For example — We have sufficient supplies to last the winter.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "sufficient", /səˈfɪʃənt/, 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 "sufficient"?

/səˈfɪʃənt/ in American English, /səˈfɪʃənt/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "sufficient"?

“sufficient” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /səˈfɪʃənt/ 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.