How to pronounce perspective
Say it like per-SPEK-tiv. Perspective has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPEK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce perspective. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- per
- SPEK
- tiv
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Perspective pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- perKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
- SPEKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- tivKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of perspective
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: puh-SPEK-tiv.
What does perspective mean?
- a way of regarding situations or topics etc.“consider what follows from the positivist view”
- the appearance of things relative to one another as determined by their distance from the viewer
Where does perspective come from?
From Middle English perspective, perspectif, attested since 1381, from Old French or Middle French, from the first word of the Medieval Latin perspectiva ars (“science of optics”), the feminine of Latin perspectivus (“of sight, optical”), f
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with perspective
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of perspective.
Questions about saying perspective
How do you pronounce perspective?
Say per-SPEK-tiv. The American pronunciation is /pɚˈspɛktɪv/. In British English it is /pəˈspɛktɪv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in perspective?
Perspective has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPEK). Broken into parts: per · SPEK · tiv.
Is perspective pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /pəˈspɛktɪv/ (puh-SPEK-tiv).