How to pronounce significant
Say it like sug-NIF-ih-kunt. Significant has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NIF).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce significant. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- sug
- NIF
- ih
- kunt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Significant pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- sugKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- NIFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- kuntKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of significant
American and British speakers say significant in essentially the same way: /səɡˈnɪfɪkənt/ in the US and /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/ in the UK.
British respelling: sig-NIF-ih-kunt.
What does significant mean?
- important in effect or meaning“a significant change in tax laws”“a significant change in the Constitution”
- of considerable importance, size, or worth“won by a substantial margin”
- too closely correlated to be attributed to chance and therefore indicating a systematic relation“the interaction effect is significant at the .01 level”“no significant difference was found”
Where does significant come from?
From Latin significans, present participle of significare, from signum (“sign”) + ficare (“do, make”), variant of facere.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying significant
How do you pronounce significant?
Say sug-NIF-ih-kunt. The American pronunciation is /səɡˈnɪfɪkənt/. In British English it is /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in significant?
Significant has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NIF). Broken into parts: sug · NIF · ih · kunt.
Do Americans and Brits say significant the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /səɡˈnɪfɪkənt/ and the British form is /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.