English pronunciation · Words Starting with S

Second Pronunciation

Second is pronounced SE-kuhnd, IPA /ˈsɛkənd/.

SE-kuhnd

US /ˈsɛkənd/

Syllables: SE · kuhnd (2 syllables, stress on syllable 1)

noun, adjective and verb: Coming after the first, or one sixtieth of a minute.

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Second in a Sentence

  • Her name is second on the list.
  • Wait a second while I find the key.
  • He seconded the motion without comment.

Common Mispronunciations of Second

Not suh-KUHND

SE arrives loud and the kuhnd behind it drops away, so the shape is the opposite of the French original.

Not SE-kohnd

No full o survives in that last beat. It flattens all the way to uh.

Tip: There is a rarer verb, si-KAHND, used in Britain for moving a worker temporarily to another post. The counting word and the ordinary verb are both SE-kuhnd.

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