How to Pronounce Seconds

To pronounce "seconds", say SEC-onds — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈsɛkəndz/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

seconds

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Accent

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Speed

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Syllables

Letters

/ˈsɛkəndz/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “seconds”

"seconds" has 2 syllables: sec-onds. It rhymes with reckons and nanoseconds, if that helps it stick.

What does seconds mean?

noun

Something that is number two in a series.
Something that is next in rank, quality, precedence, position, status, or authority.

verb

To agree as a second person to (a proposal), usually to reach a necessary quorum of two. (See under #Etymology 3 for translations.)
“I second the motion.”
To follow in the next place; to succeed.

noun

One-sixtieth of a minute; the SI unit of time, defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of caesium-133 in a ground state at a temperature of absolute zero and at rest.
A unit of angle equal to one-sixtieth of a minute of arc or one part in 3600 of a degree.

Synonyms

seconder sec arcsecond second of arc Words used as placeholders to count seconds

Words that rhyme with seconds

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

reckons nanoseconds milliseconds beckons econs ekins

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "seconds"?▾

"Seconds" has 2 syllables: sec · onds.

What is the IPA transcription of "seconds"?▾

The IPA transcription of "seconds" is /ˈsɛkəndz/.

What does "seconds" mean?▾

Seconds: Something that is number two in a series.

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