How to pronounce insufficiency
Say it like in-suh-FISH-un-see. Insufficiency has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (FISH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce insufficiency. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- in
- suh
- FISH
- un
- see
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Insufficiency pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- inGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- suhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- FISHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- seeGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of insufficiency
American and British speakers say insufficiency in essentially the same way: /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənˌsi/ in the US and /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənˌsiː/ in the UK.
British respelling: in-suh-FISH-un-see.
What does insufficiency mean?
- The lack of sufficiency: a shortage, the state of having or being not enough (of something).“The troops went hungry because of the insufficiency of their supplies.”
Where does insufficiency come from?
From in- + sufficiency.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with insufficiency
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of insufficiency.
Questions about saying insufficiency
How do you pronounce insufficiency?
Say in-suh-FISH-un-see. The American pronunciation is /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənˌsi/. In British English it is /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənˌsiː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in insufficiency?
Insufficiency has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (FISH). Broken into parts: in · suh · FISH · un · see.
Do Americans and Brits say insufficiency the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənˌsi/ and the British form is /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənˌsiː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.