How to pronounce patient
Say it like PAY-shunt. Patient has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce patient. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PAY
- shunt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Patient pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- shuntKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of patient
American and British speakers say patient in essentially the same way: /ˈpeɪʃənt/ in the US and /ˈpeɪʃənt/ in the UK.
British respelling: PAY-shunt.
What does patient mean?
- a person who requires medical care“the number of emergency patients has grown rapidly”
- the semantic role of an entity that is not the agent but is directly involved in or affected by the happening denoted by the verb in the clause
- enduring trying circumstances with even temper or characterized by such endurance“a patient smile”“was patient with the children”
Where does patient come from?
From Middle English pacient, from Middle French patient, from Old French pacient, from Latin patiens, present participle of patior (“to suffer, endure”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hate, hurt”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying patient
How do you pronounce patient?
Say PAY-shunt. The American pronunciation is /ˈpeɪʃənt/. In British English it is /ˈpeɪʃənt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in patient?
Patient has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PAY). Broken into parts: PAY · shunt.
Do Americans and Brits say patient the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpeɪʃənt/ and the British form is /ˈpeɪʃənt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.