How to pronounce assimilate
Say it like uh-SIM-uh-layt. Assimilate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SIM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce assimilate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- uh
- SIM
- uh
- layt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Assimilate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- SIMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- laytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of assimilate
American and British speakers say assimilate in essentially the same way: /əˈsɪməˌleɪt/ in the US and /əˈsɪmɪˌleɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: uh-SIM-ih-layt.
What does assimilate mean?
- To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.“Food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue.”
- To incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind.“The teacher paused in her lecture to allow the students to assimilate what she had said.”
- To absorb (a person or people) into a community or culture.“The aliens in the science-fiction film wanted to assimilate human beings into their own race.”
Where does assimilate come from?
First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; Middle English assimilaten (“to become similar; to make like”), from assimilat(e) (“assimilated”, also used as the past participal of assimilaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), bor
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying assimilate
How do you pronounce assimilate?
Say uh-SIM-uh-layt. The American pronunciation is /əˈsɪməˌleɪt/. In British English it is /əˈsɪmɪˌleɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in assimilate?
Assimilate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SIM). Broken into parts: uh · SIM · uh · layt.
Do Americans and Brits say assimilate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /əˈsɪməˌleɪt/ and the British form is /əˈsɪmɪˌleɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.