How to pronounce crescendo
Say it like krih-SHEN-doh. Crescendo has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SHEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce crescendo. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- krih
- SHEN
- doh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Crescendo pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- krihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- SHENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- dohKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of crescendo
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: krih-SHEN-doh.
What does crescendo mean?
- An instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ), by musicians called a hairpin.
- A gradual increase of anything, especially to a dramatic climax.“Their fighting rose in a fearsome crescendo.”
- To increase in intensity; to reach or head for a crescendo.“The band crescendoed and then suddenly went silent.”
- Gradually increasing in force or loudness.
Where does crescendo come from?
Borrowed from Italian crescendo, gerund of crescere (“to grow, to increase”).
Words that rhyme with crescendo
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of crescendo.
Questions about saying crescendo
How do you pronounce crescendo?
Say krih-SHEN-doh. The American pronunciation is /krɪˈʃɛndoʊ/. In British English it is /krɪˈʃɛndəʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in crescendo?
Crescendo has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SHEN). Broken into parts: krih · SHEN · doh.
Is crescendo pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /krɪˈʃɛndəʊ/ (krih-SHEN-doh).