How to pronounce “adolescence”
Adolescence is pronounced /ˌædəˈlesəns/. It has 4 syllables, and the beat falls on the third one — le. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 4 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting le in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern ōoOo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “adolescence”
✗ Often said: /ˈædɑːleskenk/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˌædəˈlesəns/
Why the two come apart: the silent “c” in “sc” is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it; also, the silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it; also, the stress lands on the third syllable (“le”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes; also, the unstressed vowels flatten all the way down to /ə/ — English swallows them, so they never sound the way they are written.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “adolescence” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“adolescence” sound by sound
“adolescence” is built out of 9 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
-
æDrop the jaw noticeably, push the front of the tongue low and forward, and spread the lips — it is a flat, bright, fairly long American vowel.
-
dSame tongue position as /t/ — tip on the ridge behind the upper teeth — but voice the sound and release it without aspiration.
-
əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
-
lTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth and let the voiced air flow around the sides of the tongue.
-
eHold the tongue mid-high and forward with the jaw slightly open and lips relaxed and unrounded.
-
sHold the tongue tip near (not touching) the ridge behind the upper teeth and force a narrow stream of air down the groove of the tongue.
-
əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
-
nTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth, lower the soft palate, and voice the air out through the nose.
-
sHold the tongue tip near (not touching) the ridge behind the upper teeth and force a narrow stream of air down the groove of the tongue.
Silent letters in “adolescence”
Letters you write but never say — this is the single biggest reason the word trips people up:
- cThe letter “c”Silent “c” in “sc” — write it, but do not let it reach your mouth.
- eThe letter “e”Silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) — write it, but do not let it reach your mouth.
Words that rhyme with “adolescence”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “adolescence”
Each of these differs from “adolescence” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “adolescence”
- How do you pronounce “adolescence”?
- “adolescence” is pronounced /ˌædəˈlesəns/, with the stress on the third syllable (le). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “adolescence”?
- “adolescence” has 4 syllables: æ · də · le · səns. The stress pattern is ōoOo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “adolescence”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈædɑːleskenk/, but it is actually /ˌædəˈlesəns/, because the silent “c” in “sc” is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it.
- Does “adolescence” have any silent letters?
- Yes — silent “c” in “sc”, and silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead).
Stop looking words up one at a time
You just looked up one word. PHONO puts the IPA above every word of whatever you are reading — in your browser, in a PDF, in any app — the moment you select it. An offline pronunciation dictionary, US and UK audio, one hotkey.