How to pronounce spontaneous
Say it like spahn-TAY-nee-us. Spontaneous has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce spontaneous. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- spahn
- TAY
- nee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Spontaneous pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- spahnKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- TAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- neeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of spontaneous
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: spon-TAY-nee-us.
What does spontaneous mean?
- happening or arising without apparent external cause“spontaneous laughter”“spontaneous combustion”
- said or done without having been planned or written in advance“he made a few ad-lib remarks”
Where does spontaneous come from?
Learned borrowing from Late Latin spontāneus.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with spontaneous
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of spontaneous.
Questions about saying spontaneous
How do you pronounce spontaneous?
Say spahn-TAY-nee-us. The American pronunciation is /spɑnˈteɪniəs/. In British English it is /spɒnˈteɪniəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in spontaneous?
Spontaneous has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TAY). Broken into parts: spahn · TAY · nee · us.
Is spontaneous pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /spɒnˈteɪniəs/ (spon-TAY-nee-us).