How to pronounce spent
Say it like SPENT. Spent is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce spent. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SPENT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Spent pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SPENTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of spent
American and British speakers say spent in essentially the same way: /spɛnt/ in the US and /spɛnt/ in the UK.
British respelling: SPENT.
What does spent mean?
- depleted of energy, force, or strength“impossible to grow tobacco on the exhausted soil”“the exhausted food sources”
- drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted“the day's shopping left her exhausted”“he went to bed dog-tired”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with spent
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of spent.
Questions about saying spent
How do you pronounce spent?
Say SPENT. The American pronunciation is /spɛnt/. In British English it is /spɛnt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in spent?
Spent is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SPENT.
Do Americans and Brits say spent the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /spɛnt/ and the British form is /spɛnt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.