How to pronounce adolescent
Say it like ad-uh-LES-unt. Adolescent has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (LES).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce adolescent. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ad
- uh
- LES
- unt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Adolescent pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- adGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- LESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- untKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of adolescent
American and British speakers say adolescent in essentially the same way: /ˌædəˈlɛsənt/ in the US and /ˌædəˈlɛsənt/ in the UK.
British respelling: ad-uh-LES-unt.
What does adolescent mean?
- a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity
- relating to or peculiar to or suggestive of an adolescent“adolescent problems”
- being of the age 13 through 19“teenage mothers”“the teen years”
- displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity“adolescent insecurity”“jejune responses to our problems”
Where does adolescent come from?
First attested ?1440, from Middle English adolescent, from Middle French adolescent or directly from Latin adolescentem, accusative form of adolescens, present participle of adolēscere (“to become adult, grow up”), from ad- (“to”) + alēscer
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with adolescent
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of adolescent.
- crescent
- fluorescent
- incessant
- incandescent
- antidepressant
- iridescent
- pubescent
- convalescent
- depressant
- effervescent
Questions about saying adolescent
How do you pronounce adolescent?
Say ad-uh-LES-unt. The American pronunciation is /ˌædəˈlɛsənt/. In British English it is /ˌædəˈlɛsənt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in adolescent?
Adolescent has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (LES). Broken into parts: ad · uh · LES · unt.
Do Americans and Brits say adolescent the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌædəˈlɛsənt/ and the British form is /ˌædəˈlɛsənt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.