English pronunciation · Words Starting with A

Athens Pronunciation

Athens is pronounced A-thuhnz, IPA /ˈæθənz/.

A-thuhnz

US /ˈæθənz/

Syllables: A · thuhnz (2 syllables, stress on syllable 1)

proper noun: The capital of Greece, and the name of several towns in the United States.

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Athens in a Sentence

  • We changed planes in Athens.
  • Athens is hotter in August than anyone expects.
  • She teaches at a college in Athens, Georgia.

Common Mispronunciations of Athens

Not AY-thuhnz

The opening a is short, as in at. A long ay borrows the vowel of Athenian, which is stressed elsewhere.

Not A-thens with a hard s

The final s is voiced and buzzes like a z. It follows a nasal, and English voices the s after n almost every time.

Tip: The adjective moves the beat and lengthens the vowel: uh-THEE-nee-uhn.

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