English pronunciation · Words Starting with O
Obsolete Pronunciation
Obsolete is pronounced AHB-suh-leet, IPA /ˈɑbsəˌlit/.
AHB-suh-leet
US /ˈɑbsəˌlit/ · UK /ˈɒbsəˌliːt/
Syllables: AHB · suh · leet (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective: No longer used or no longer useful, having been overtaken by something newer.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
Two Ways to Say Obsolete
The pronunciation changes with the meaning or the part of speech. The form above is the most common; the others are:
- with the beat at the end: /ˌɑbsəˈlit/ (ahb-suh-LEET)
Obsolete in a Sentence
- Fax machines were obsolete long before the office got rid of them.
- The manual refers to a part that is now obsolete.
- New rules made half the forms obsolete overnight.
Common Mispronunciations of Obsolete
Not ob-SOH-leet
Nothing in the middle of this word is ever stressed. It is a quick suh sitting between the two strong parts.
Not OB-so-leet
The o of the second syllable reduces all the way to uh in running speech, so the word runs AHB-suh-leet rather than keeping a clear o.
Tip: Both AHB-suh-leet and ahb-suh-LEET are standard. The front-stressed version is the more common one in American speech.
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