How To Pronounce Heighten

heighten

Phonemic

/ˈhaɪ.tən/

Phonetic

[ˈhaɪ.tn̩]

Phonemic

/ˈhaɪ.t̯ən/

In British English, heighten is pronounced /ˈhaɪ.tən/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈhaɪ.tn̩]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈhaɪ.t̯ən/.

Heighten has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

haɪtən

Heighten has two syllables in British English, and the main stress is on the first syllable, shown in colour above. Its stress pattern is Oo, where O is the stressed syllable.

heighten + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/ˈhaɪ.tənz/

/ˈhaɪ.t̯ənz/

heighten + -ed

-ed (past tense or past participle) is /d/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/ˈhaɪ.tənd/

/ˈhaɪ.t̯ənd/

heighten + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/ˈhaɪ.tən.ɪŋ/

/ˈhaɪ.t̯ən.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Heighten

Questions About Heighten

How do you pronounce heighten in British English?

In British English, heighten is pronounced /ˈhaɪ.tən/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈhaɪ.tn̩].

How do you pronounce heighten in American English?

In American English, heighten is pronounced /ˈhaɪ.t̯ən/.

How many syllables are in heighten?

Heighten has two syllables, /haɪ/ + /tən/.

Where is the stress in heighten?

The main stress is on the first syllable, /haɪ/.

Do British and American English pronounce heighten the same way?

No. British English has /ˈhaɪ.tən/ and American English has /ˈhaɪ.t̯ən/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

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