How to pronounce absentee
Say it like ab-sun-TEE. Absentee has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (TEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce absentee. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ab
- sun
- TEE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Absentee pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- abGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- sunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- TEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of absentee
American and British speakers say absentee in essentially the same way: /ˌæbsənˈti/ in the US and /ˌæbsənˈtiː/ in the UK.
British respelling: ab-sun-TEE.
What does absentee mean?
- A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.“At roll-call there were three absentees.”
- Designating a person absent in a particular capacity, sometimes implying that they are difficult to contact, unresponsive, avoiding their responsibilities, etc.“absentee father; absentee landlord; absentee freeholder”
- A person who is absent from their residence and usual environment, and has not been seen or heard from for some period of time, so that it is unknown whether they are still alive, for the purpose of civil law dealing with the management of property etc. in such cases.
Where does absentee come from?
From absent + -ee.
Words that rhyme with absentee
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of absentee.
Questions about saying absentee
How do you pronounce absentee?
Say ab-sun-TEE. The American pronunciation is /ˌæbsənˈti/. In British English it is /ˌæbsənˈtiː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in absentee?
Absentee has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (TEE). Broken into parts: ab · sun · TEE.
Do Americans and Brits say absentee the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌæbsənˈti/ and the British form is /ˌæbsənˈtiː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.