English pronunciation · Words Starting with C
Contentious Pronunciation
Contentious is pronounced kuhn-TEN-shuhs, IPA /kənˈtɛnʃəs/.
kuhn-TEN-shuhs
US /kənˈtɛnʃəs/ · UK /kənˈtɛnʃəs/
Syllables: kuhn · TEN · shuhs (3 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
adjective: Likely to cause argument, or inclined to argue.
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Contentious in a Sentence
- The boundary remains the most contentious item on the agenda.
- It was a contentious appointment from the start.
- She can be contentious in meetings and charming outside them.
Common Mispronunciations of Contentious
Not kuhn-TEN-tee-uhs
A tious ending comes out as one beat, shuhs, which is how cautious and ambitious end too.
Not KAHN-ten-shuhs
Three beats, with the force in the middle on TEN.
Tip: Contentious and contention both lean on TEN, and neither has anything to do with the noun content.
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