How to pronounce dementia
Say it like dih-MEN-shee-uh. Dementia has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (MEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce dementia. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- MEN
- shee
- uh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dementia 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.
- MENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- sheeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of dementia
American and British speakers say dementia in essentially the same way: /dɪˈmɛnʃiə/ in the US and /dɪˈmɛnʃiə/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-MEN-shee-uh.
What does dementia mean?
- mental deterioration of organic or functional origin
Where does dementia come from?
Borrowed from Latin dēmentia.
Questions about saying dementia
How do you pronounce dementia?
Say dih-MEN-shee-uh. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈmɛnʃiə/. In British English it is /dɪˈmɛnʃiə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dementia?
Dementia has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (MEN). Broken into parts: dih · MEN · shee · uh.
Do Americans and Brits say dementia the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪˈmɛnʃiə/ and the British form is /dɪˈmɛnʃiə/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.