How to pronounce absolute
Say it like AB-suh-loot. Absolute has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (AB).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce absolute. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- AB
- suh
- loot
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Absolute pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ABSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- suhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- lootGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of absolute
American and British speakers say absolute in essentially the same way: /ˈæbsəˌlut/ in the US and /ˈæbsəˌluːt/ in the UK.
British respelling: AB-suh-loot.
What does absolute mean?
- perfect or complete or pure“absolute loyalty”“absolute silence”
- complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers“absolute freedom”“an absolute dimwit”
- not limited by law“an absolute monarch”
- something that is conceived or that exists independently and not in relation to other things; something that does not depend on anything else and is beyond human control; something that is not relative“no mortal being can influence the absolute”
Where does absolute come from?
First attested around 1380.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying absolute
How do you pronounce absolute?
Say AB-suh-loot. The American pronunciation is /ˈæbsəˌlut/. In British English it is /ˈæbsəˌluːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in absolute?
Absolute has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (AB). Broken into parts: AB · suh · loot.
Do Americans and Brits say absolute the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈæbsəˌlut/ and the British form is /ˈæbsəˌluːt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.