How to pronounce potential
Say it like puh-TEN-shul. Potential has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce potential. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- puh
- TEN
- shul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Potential pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- puhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- TENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- shulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of potential
American and British speakers say potential in essentially the same way: /pəˈtɛnʃəl/ in the US and /pəˈtɛnʃəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: puh-TEN-shul.
What does potential mean?
- existing in possibility“a potential problem”“possible uses of nuclear power”
- expected to become or be; in prospect“potential clients”
- the inherent capacity for coming into being
- the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts
Where does potential come from?
From Late Latin potentialis, from Latin potentia (“power”), from potens (“powerful”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with potential
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of potential.
- essential
- presidential
- residential
- influential
- confidential
- differential
- existential
- exponential
- sequential
- preferential
Questions about saying potential
How do you pronounce potential?
Say puh-TEN-shul. The American pronunciation is /pəˈtɛnʃəl/. In British English it is /pəˈtɛnʃəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in potential?
Potential has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TEN). Broken into parts: puh · TEN · shul.
Do Americans and Brits say potential the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pəˈtɛnʃəl/ and the British form is /pəˈtɛnʃəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.