How to pronounce sententious
Say it like sen-TEN-shus. Sententious 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 sententious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- sen
- TEN
- shus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sententious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- senKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- 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 sententious
American and British speakers say sententious in essentially the same way: /sɛnˈtɛnʃəs/ in the US and /sɛnˈtɛnʃəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: sen-TEN-shus.
What does sententious mean?
- Using as few words as possible; pithy and concise.
- Tending to the frequent use aphorisms or maxims; especially, in a manner that is affected, trite or self-righteous.“His sententious remarks quickly bored the audience.”
Where does sententious come from?
From Latin sententiōsus, from sententia (“opinion, purpose”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with sententious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sententious.
Questions about saying sententious
How do you pronounce sententious?
Say sen-TEN-shus. The American pronunciation is /sɛnˈtɛnʃəs/. In British English it is /sɛnˈtɛnʃəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sententious?
Sententious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TEN). Broken into parts: sen · TEN · shus.
Do Americans and Brits say sententious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /sɛnˈtɛnʃəs/ and the British form is /sɛnˈtɛnʃəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.