How to pronounce patience and patients
How to pronounce patience and patients
I teach internationally born medical professionals working in the US how to speak clear American English.
Two words my students ask me is how to pronounce patience and patients.
Pronounce these words the same way
Even though the words patience and patients are spelled differently, we pronounce them the same way.
What’s the reason?
There are three.
- The stressed vowel sound in both words is /ey/ as in Gray.
- The unstressed vowel sound in both words is schwa.
- The T in the word patients is very reduced. This type of reduction often occurs when a word ends with three consonant sounds.
Listen here:
- Listening requires alloda patience.
- As a physician, I see alloda patients. (the T sound is almost invisible)
More words that are spelled differently but sound the same
There are lots of American English words that are spelled differently but sound the same. Follow this link to learn one that will surprise you.
About the author
Susan Ryan is an American English communication and accent reduction coach.
Contact me with your questions about clear American speech.
