To pronounce "ancient", say ANC-ient — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈeɪnʃənt/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.
ancient
Tap to hear · American accent
Accent
If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.
Speed
Syllable by syllable — tap each one
Record yourself saying ancient, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.
2
Syllables
7
Letters
/ˈeɪnʃənt/
IPA
Break "ancient" into 2 beats and lean on "ANC" — that's the stressed one.
adjective
noun
Related pages on PronounceIt, chosen from what we know about this word.
Train the contrast: three vs tree
Sounds worth drilling for a word spelled like this:
Read next: Long and Short Vowel Sounds in English
To pronounce "ancient", say ANC-ient — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈeɪnʃənt/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.
"Ancient" has 2 syllables: anc · ient.
The IPA transcription of "ancient" is /ˈeɪnʃənt/.
Ancient: Having lasted from a remote period; having been of long duration; of great age, very old.
Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?
Open “ancient” in the full dictionary →