How to pronounce tangent
Say it like TAN-junt. Tangent has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TAN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce tangent. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TAN
- junt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tangent pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TANSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- juntKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of tangent
American and British speakers say tangent in essentially the same way: /ˈtændʒənt/ in the US and /ˈtændʒənt/ in the UK.
British respelling: TAN-junt.
What does tangent mean?
- A straight line touching a curve at a single point without crossing it there.
- A function of an angle that gives the ratio of the sine to the cosine, in either the real or complex numbers. Symbols: tan, tg.
- A course suddenly and unexpectedly divergent from one which was previously being followed (especially one embarked on before reaching the end of the previous course).
- Touching a curve at a single point but not crossing it at that point.
- Of a topic, only loosely related to a main topic.
- Straight; not horizontally curved.“The collision occurred on a two-mile stretch of tangent track.”
- Synonym of fly off at a tangent (“to digress from a topic”).
Where does tangent come from?
Cognate with Old English þaccian (“to touch lightly, pat, stroke”).
Questions about saying tangent
How do you pronounce tangent?
Say TAN-junt. The American pronunciation is /ˈtændʒənt/. In British English it is /ˈtændʒənt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tangent?
Tangent has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TAN). Broken into parts: TAN · junt.
Do Americans and Brits say tangent the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtændʒənt/ and the British form is /ˈtændʒənt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.