How to Pronounce Permanent

To pronounce "permanent", say PERM-an-ent — 3 syllables, IPA /ˈpɝmənənt/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

permanent

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Accent

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Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

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3

Syllables

9

Letters

/ˈpɝmənənt/

🇺🇸 IPA (US)

/pˈɜːmənənt/

🇬🇧 IPA (UK)

💡 Tip for remembering “permanent”

Break "permanent" into 3 beats and lean on "PERM" — that's the stressed one. It rhymes with determinant and germinant, if that helps it stick.

What does permanent mean?

noun

  1. A chemical hair treatment imparting or removing curliness, whose effects typically last for a period of weeks; a perm.
  2. Given an n \times n matrix a_{ij} \,, the sum over all permutations \pi \, of \prod_{i=1}^n{a_{i\pi(i)}}.

verb

  1. To perm (the hair).

adjective

  1. Without end, eternal.

    “Nothing in this world is truly permanent.”

  2. Lasting for an indefinitely long time.

    “The countries are now locked in a permanent state of conflict.”

Synonyms

durableintransienteverlastingneverendingunending

Antonyms

impermanenttemporary

Hear “permanent” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with permanent

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

determinantgerminantsemipermanent

Related words

everlastingeternalagelessperpetualimperishableunceasingunendingenduring

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "permanent"?▾

"Permanent" has 3 syllables: perm · an · ent.

What is the IPA transcription of "permanent"?▾

The IPA transcription of "permanent" is /ˈpɝmənənt/.

What does "permanent" mean?▾

Permanent: A chemical hair treatment imparting or removing curliness, whose effects typically last for a period of weeks; a perm.

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