2 syllables: Con, cede. Stress on cede.
kuhn-SEED
/kəˈnsid/
Concede is pronounced kuhn-SEED (/kəˈnsid/). It has two syllables (Con-cede), with the stress on "cede". Concede is a verb meaning to admit or acknowledge something, often reluctantly or after initial resistance. It can also mean to grant or yield something, such as a point in an argument or a privilege. The term implies a formal or deliberate surrender of a position, typically after weighing evidence or pressure.
verbConcede is a verb meaning to admit or acknowledge something, often reluctantly or after initial resistance. It can also mean to grant or yield something, such as a point in an argument or a privilege. The term implies a formal or deliberate surrender of a position, typically after weighing evidence or pressure.
"During the debate, she finally conceded that the data supported his conclusion."
"The government conceded an error and issued a public apology."
"He refused to concede the point until all witnesses were heard."
Pronounced kən-ˈsīd. The stress lands on the second syllable: con-CEDE. IPA: US kənˈsiːd, UK kənˈsiːd, AU kənˈsiːd. Start with a neutral schwa in the first syllable, then a long E sound in the stressed second syllable. Be mindful not to flatten the vowel into /ɪ/; keep /iː/ for the long E. End with a clear 'd' stop.
Common errors: (1) misplacing the stress on the first syllable (con-CEDE is wrong; stress should be on CEDE). (2) Using a short vowel in the second syllable (say /kənˈsɪd/ instead of /kənˈsiːd/). (3) Dropping the 'd' or making it a soft 't' in rapid speech. Correction: produce a full /iː/ in the second syllable, end with a clear /d/, and keep the initial schwa. Practice with minimal pairs and slow enunciation to lock the /siː/ vowel.
US and UK share /kənˈsiːd/ with rhoticity affecting only the initial schwa; the main difference is vowel length in the stressed syllable, which remains long /iː/. Australian tends to maintain the same two-syllable pattern, but with a bit more vowel reduction in connected speech and a slightly higher vowel in the second syllable in careful speech. Overall, the core /ˈsiːd/ remains consistent across accents.
The difficulty lies in the long /iː/ vowel in the second syllable and the final /d/ after a stressed syllable, which can blur in rapid speech. English learners often misplace the stress, producing /kənˈsɪd/ or sounding like /kənˈsiːt/. Focus on maintaining a crisp /siː/ with a clear /d/ at the end, and keep the first syllable unstressed with a neutral schwa.
Concede features a clear secondary vowel length in the stressed second syllable, unlike many two-syllable verbs where the first syllable carries more emphasis. The mouth positions: start with a relaxed jaw for /kən/, raise the mid-back tongue for /siː/, then release the /d/ with the tip of the tongue behind the teeth. IPA guides you to kənˈsiːd, keeping the second syllable tense and long.
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Concede comes from the Latin concedere, meaning 'to yield, grant, or withdraw' from con- 'together' plus cedere 'to go, yield.' The form passed into Old French as conceder and then into English by the 14th century. Initially carrying a sense of granting or yielding in a legal or formal sense, it broadened to include admitting a point in an argument. Through the centuries, concede retained its implication of voluntary yielding after evaluation of evidence or persuasive force. The word participates in legal, rhetorical, and political discourse, often signaling a strategic or principled admission rather than a casual acknowledgment. The core semantic shift centers on moving from taking back a stance to acknowledging that a contrary claim has merit, sometimes to avert further dispute. First known use in English appears in the 14th century, with the Latin origin well established in scholarly and legal texts throughout the Renaissance and into modern usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Concede" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Concede"
-eed sounds
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