How to pronounce defendant
Say it like dih-FEN-dunt. Defendant has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (FEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce defendant. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- FEN
- dunt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Defendant pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- FENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- duntKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of defendant
American and British speakers say defendant in essentially the same way: /dɪˈfɛndənt/ in the US and /dɪˈfɛndənt/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-FEN-dunt.
What does defendant mean?
- a person or institution against whom an action is brought in a court of law; the person being sued or accused
Where does defendant come from?
From Middle English defendaunt (“defending; defending in a suit”), borrowed from Old French defendant, present participle of defendre, from Latin dēfendere.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with defendant
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of defendant.
- independent
- dependent
- superintendent
- attendant
- pendant
- descendant
- transcendent
- dependant
- ascendant
- resplendent
Questions about saying defendant
How do you pronounce defendant?
Say dih-FEN-dunt. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈfɛndənt/. In British English it is /dɪˈfɛndənt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in defendant?
Defendant has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (FEN). Broken into parts: dih · FEN · dunt.
Do Americans and Brits say defendant the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪˈfɛndənt/ and the British form is /dɪˈfɛndənt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.