English pronunciation · Words Starting with D

Descent Pronunciation

Descent is pronounced di-SENT, IPA /dɪˈsɛnt/.

di-SENT

US /dɪˈsɛnt/  ·  UK /dɪˈsɛnt/

Syllables: di · SENT (2 syllables, stress on syllable 2)

noun: A movement downwards, or the family line a person comes from.

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Descent in a Sentence

  • The descent from the summit took four hours.
  • She is of Portuguese descent on her mother's side.
  • A slow descent into argument followed the announcement.

Common Mispronunciations of Descent

Not DEE-sent

Let the opening syllable go weak and land on SENT. A full dee at the front turns the noun into something like a compound.

Not di-SEND

Finish on a t, not a d. Descend is the verb; descent is the thing that happens.

Tip: Descent, dissent, and decent all sit close together. Descent and dissent sound alike, while decent puts a long ee at the front.

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