English pronunciation · Words Starting with A
Assertive Pronunciation
Assertive is pronounced uh-SUR-tiv, IPA /əˈsɝtɪv/.
uh-SUR-tiv
US /əˈsɝtɪv/ · UK /əˈsɜːtɪv/
Syllables: uh · SUR · tiv (3 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
adjective: Confident and direct in saying what you want or believe.
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Assertive in a Sentence
- She was assertive without raising her voice once.
- The course teaches assertive language for difficult meetings.
- He needs to be more assertive with suppliers.
Common Mispronunciations of Assertive
Not A-ser-tiv
Assert gives the beat to its second syllable, and everything built on assert keeps it in that place.
Not uh-sur-TIV
Active and festive leave nothing on the ive ending, and it takes no weight here either.
Tip: Assertive and aggressive are not the same thing: the first is usually meant as praise and the second rarely is.
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