3 syllables: ab, sorb, ance. Stress on sorb.
uhb-ZAWR-buhns
/əbˈzɔːrbəns/
absorbance is pronounced uhb-ZAWR-buhns (/əbˈzɔːrbəns/). It has three syllables (ab-sorb-ance), with the stress on "sorb". Absorbance refers to the degree to which a substance absorbs light or another form of radiation, typically measured as the fraction of incident light that is absorbed. In science, it describes how much a sample attenuates a beam, often used in spectroscopy to determine concentration or optical properties. The term emphasizes the absorptive capability rather than transmission.
Absorbance refers to the degree to which a substance absorbs light or another form of radiation, typically measured as the fraction of incident light that is absorbed. In science, it describes how much a sample attenuates a beam, often used in spectroscopy to determine concentration or optical properties. The term emphasizes the absorptive capability rather than transmission.
- You may tilt the second syllable into an unfamiliar vowel, inserting an /æ/ or /ɒ/—focus on /ɔː/ to mirror 'saw.' - You might misplace stress as AB-sorb-ance or abi-SOR-bance; keep stress on the second syllable: ab-SOR-bance. - The final -ance can sound like 'ans' without the trailing zibilization; keep a crisp /əns/ rather than a nasalized ending. - Ensure the /sb/ cluster in the middle doesn’t collapse; keep the /b/ as a discrete stop before /ə/. - Don’t shorten the second syllable; hold the /ɔː/ long enough to distinguish from /ɔ/ within the same word.
"The absorbance of the dye solution increased with concentration."
"Spectroscopy data were corrected for baseline noise before analyzing absorbance."
"The cuvette’s absorbance at 560 nm was recorded to quantify the sample."
You say /əbˈzɔːr.bəns/ in US and UK, with the primary stress on the second syllable. The first syllable is a schwa, the second syllable bears the main stress and contains the long “aw” vowel. The final syllable is unstressed -bance, rhyming with “dance.” If you’re practicing, say “ab-SOR-bance” with a clear, sharp final -s. Audio references: search for pronunciation in dictionaries that provide IPA and listen to Forvo or YouGlish examples for “absorbance.”
Two frequent errors: (1) misplacing stress, saying ab-SORB-ance or ab-zer-BANS; (2) mispronouncing the vowel in the second syllable, using a short /ɔ/ or /ɑ/ instead of the correct /ɔː/ as in 'saw.' Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable and ensure a long /ɔː/ vowel, then pronounce the final /əns/ crisply. Break it into syllables: ab-SOR-bance, practice with a mirror to confirm lip rounding and jaw openness. Listen to model pronunciations and imitate the vowel length and rhythm.
In US and UK, the second syllable uses a long vowel /ɔː/ with approximate 'sor' sound; rhoticity affects the US pronunciation more, with slight r coloring before the vowel in some speakers. Australian speakers typically maintain /ɒ/ to /ɔː/ quality, with the final -ance pronounced as /əns/. Overall, the primary stress remains on the second syllable, but vowel quality and r-coloring vary slightly: US may have more rhotic coloration before the /ɔː/; UK tends to a tighter, non-rhotic realization; AU often features broader diphthongs and less intrusive r.
The challenge is the two consecutive consonant clusters and the long, rounded /ɔː/ in the second syllable, which can blur into /ɑ/ or /ɒ/ for some speakers. The rapid transition from /b/ to /ə/ in the final syllable also asks for precise tongue tip contact and a crisp -s ending. Practice by isolating the second syllable: /ˈzɔːr/ with rounded lips, then glide to /bæns/—ensuring the final -ance lands on a short, clear schwa-like nucleus for the suffix. Use IPA landmarks to guide mouth positions.
The suffix -ance follows a verb-centered stem, so you emphasize the syllable boundary and ensure the -b- blends smoothly into -ance without a strong pause. The second syllable’s /ɔːr/ must be prolonged slightly (as in 'or' in 'more'), then end with a light /bən(t)s/ cluster leading into the final /s/. This subtle snappiness in the ending makes the word sound precise rather than mumbled.
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- US: rhotic-friendly intonation; keep /ɔː/ rounded with a slightly retroflex /r/ before it, but not dominating the vowel quality. UK: non-rhotic in most accents; stress and length remain but the /r/ is not pronounced unless linked. AU: broader vowel quality, often less tight mouth position; keep the /ɔː/ clear and the final /ns/ crisp. Across all, maintain the long vowel in the second syllable, and end with a precise /s/ cluster.
Absorbance comes from the verb absorb, which derives from Latin absorbere (to swallow, absorb). absorbere is formed from ad- (toward) + sordere? not; actually ’borb-’ from ab- + sorbere (to suck up, drink). Sorbere comes from Latin sorbere (to suck, draw up). The suffix -ance forms nouns indicating a state or quality. The earliest English usage of absorb was from Latin via Old French in the medieval period, referring to taking in liquids or knowledge. Absorbance as a scientific term emerged in the 19th century with the rise of spectroscopy and physical chemistry, translating the concept of the extent to which a material absorbs light into a measurable property. The word gradually specialized from broader “absorption” to “absorbance” to denote the measurable, quantitative attribute in optical analysis, particularly in biochemistry and analytical chemistry. Over time, absorbance has become a standard term in Beer-Lambert law contexts and spectrophotometry, often paired with wavelength, concentration, and path length to quantify material properties. The usage expanded as instrumentation advanced, cementing absorbance as a key parameter in labs worldwide.
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Words that rhyme with "absorbance"
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