How to pronounce detonate
Say it like DET-uh-nayt. Detonate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DET).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce detonate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DET
- uh
- nayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Detonate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DETSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- naytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of detonate
- Americans usually soften the t in the middle into a quick d-like tap; British speakers keep a crisp t.
British respelling: DET-uh-nayt.
What does detonate mean?
- To explode, blow up
- To combust or decompose supersonically via shock compression.
- To cause to explode.“The engineers detonated the dynamite and watched the old building collapse.”
Where does detonate come from?
First attested in 1729; either borrowed from French détoner or directly from Latin dētonātus, perfect passive participle of dētonō (“to thunder down (strongly); (figuratively, of a person) to thunder, speak threateningly, to rage; to stop t
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying detonate
How do you pronounce detonate?
Say DET-uh-nayt. The American pronunciation is /ˈdɛtəˌneɪt/. In British English it is /ˈdɛtəneɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in detonate?
Detonate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DET). Broken into parts: DET · uh · nayt.
Is detonate pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans usually soften the t in the middle into a quick d-like tap; British speakers keep a crisp t. The British form is /ˈdɛtəneɪt/ (DET-uh-nayt).