How to pronounce pretentious
Say it like pree-TEN-shus. Pretentious 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 pretentious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- pree
- TEN
- shus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pretentious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- preeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- TENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- shusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of pretentious
American and British speakers say pretentious in essentially the same way: /priˈtɛnʃəs/ in the US and /priˈtɛnʃəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: pree-TEN-shus.
What does pretentious mean?
- Motivated by an inappropriate, excessive, or unjustified desire to impress others.“Her dress was obviously more pretentious than comfortable.”
- Marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.“Their song titles are pretentious in the context of their basic lyrics.”
Where does pretentious come from?
Note that pretentious is spelled with a ‘t’, unlike related pretense, pretension.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with pretentious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pretentious.
Questions about saying pretentious
How do you pronounce pretentious?
Say pree-TEN-shus. The American pronunciation is /priˈtɛnʃəs/. In British English it is /priˈtɛnʃəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pretentious?
Pretentious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TEN). Broken into parts: pree · TEN · shus.
Do Americans and Brits say pretentious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /priˈtɛnʃəs/ and the British form is /priˈtɛnʃəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.