How to pronounce tendentious
Say it like ten-DEN-shus. Tendentious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (DEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce tendentious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ten
- DEN
- shus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tendentious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- tenGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- DENSay 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 tendentious
American and British speakers say tendentious in essentially the same way: /ˌtɛnˈdɛnʃəs/ in the US and /ˌtɛnˈdɛnʃəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: ten-DEN-shus.
What does tendentious mean?
- Having a tendency, written or spoken, with a partisan, biased or prejudiced purpose, especially a controversial one; implicitly or explicitly slanted; biased.“That he was a supporter of the cause was clear, because his reports from the front were tendentious.”
Where does tendentious come from?
From tendency + -ious, after German tendenziös.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with tendentious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tendentious.
Questions about saying tendentious
How do you pronounce tendentious?
Say ten-DEN-shus. The American pronunciation is /ˌtɛnˈdɛnʃəs/. In British English it is /ˌtɛnˈdɛnʃəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tendentious?
Tendentious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (DEN). Broken into parts: ten · DEN · shus.
Do Americans and Brits say tendentious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌtɛnˈdɛnʃəs/ and the British form is /ˌtɛnˈdɛnʃəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.