How to pronounce dereference
Say it like dih-REF-runs. Dereference has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (REF).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce dereference. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- REF
- runs
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dereference 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.
- REFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- runsKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of dereference
American and British speakers say dereference in essentially the same way: /dɪˈrɛfrəns/ in the US and /dɪˈrɛfrəns/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-REF-runs.
What does dereference mean?
- To access the value or object located in a memory location addressed by a pointer or another value interpreted as such; to access a value being referenced by something else.“Attempting to dereference a null pointer often results in a crash.”
- To operate on the file or directory pointed to by a symbolic link, rather than on the link itself.“With the find command, any symbolic links appearing after -follow will be dereferenced.”
- To dissolve a symbolic link by replacing it with a copy of its target.
- The act by which something is dereferenced.
Where does dereference come from?
From de- + reference.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying dereference
How do you pronounce dereference?
Say dih-REF-runs. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈrɛfrəns/. In British English it is /dɪˈrɛfrəns/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dereference?
Dereference has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (REF). Broken into parts: dih · REF · runs.
Do Americans and Brits say dereference the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪˈrɛfrəns/ and the British form is /dɪˈrɛfrəns/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.