English pronunciation · Words Starting with A
Accent Pronunciation
Accent is pronounced AK-sent, IPA /ˈækˌsɛnt/.
AK-sent
US /ˈækˌsɛnt/
Syllables: AK · sent (2 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
noun and verb: As a noun, the way someone's speech is coloured by where they are from, or a mark written above a letter; as a verb, to emphasise something.
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Two Ways to Say Accent
The pronunciation changes with the meaning or the part of speech. The form above is the most common; the others are:
- verb (to accent something): /əkˈsɛnt/ (uhk-SENT)
Accent in a Sentence
- She has a faint Yorkshire accent.
- The e in cafe carries an accent in French.
- The designer accented the room with one dark wall.
Common Mispronunciations of Accent
Not ak-SENT (for the noun)
The noun leans on the front: AK-sent. Second syllable stress belongs to the verb, and using it for the noun is the commonest slip.
Not AK-sept
The middle consonant is an s followed by n, not p. Swapping them produces accept, a word that means something quite different.
Tip: An AK-sent you hear, but you ak-SENT a feature to make it stand out.
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