How to pronounce impedance
Say it like im-PEE-duns. Impedance has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (PEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce impedance. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- im
- PEE
- duns
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Impedance pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- imGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- PEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- dunsKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of impedance
American and British speakers say impedance in essentially the same way: /ˌɪmˈpidəns/ in the US and /ˌɪmˈpiːdəns/ in the UK.
British respelling: im-PEE-duns.
What does impedance mean?
- The act of impeding; that which impedes; a hindrance.
- A measure of the opposition to the flow of an alternating current in a circuit; the aggregation of its resistance, and inductive and capacitive reactances; the ratio of voltage to current treated as complex quantities.
- a measure of opposition to motion of something subjected to a force; the ratio of force to velocity treated as complex quantities.
Where does impedance come from?
From impede + -ance. In sense 2 and sense 3 it was coined by English mathematician and physicist Oliver Heaviside in 1886.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with impedance
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of impedance.
Questions about saying impedance
How do you pronounce impedance?
Say im-PEE-duns. The American pronunciation is /ˌɪmˈpidəns/. In British English it is /ˌɪmˈpiːdəns/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in impedance?
Impedance has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (PEE). Broken into parts: im · PEE · duns.
Do Americans and Brits say impedance the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌɪmˈpidəns/ and the British form is /ˌɪmˈpiːdəns/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.