English pronunciation · Words Starting with A
Ancestor Pronunciation
Ancestor is pronounced AN-se-ster, IPA /ˈænˌsɛstɝ/.
AN-se-ster
US /ˈænˌsɛstɝ/ · UK /ˈænsɛstə/
Syllables: AN · se · ster (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
noun: A person from whom somebody is descended, usually one living long ago.
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Ancestor in a Sentence
- Her ancestor arrived here in 1847.
- The museum traces one family and every ancestor it can name.
- A common ancestor links all three species.
Common Mispronunciations of Ancestor
Not an-SES-ter
Three beats with the first one loud, which is the opposite of the related word ancestral.
Not AN-kes-ter
A c before an e gives a plain s, so the middle of the word is se and never ke.
Tip: Ancestral moves the beat to the middle, an-SE-struhl, while the noun keeps it at the front.
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