3 syllables: con, cur, rence. Stress on cur.
kuhn-KUR-uhns
/kəˈnkɝəns/
concurrence is pronounced kuhn-KUR-uhns (/kəˈnkɝəns/). It has three syllables (con-cur-rence), with the stress on "cur". Concurrence refers to the occurrence of two or more events at the same time or with the same outcome, often in agreement or alignment. In formal contexts, it denotes a consensus or agreement among parties, or a harmonious simultaneity in processes. The term is common in legal, mathematical, and theoretical discussions where parallelism or simultaneous occurrence matters.
Concurrence refers to the occurrence of two or more events at the same time or with the same outcome, often in agreement or alignment. In formal contexts, it denotes a consensus or agreement among parties, or a harmonious simultaneity in processes. The term is common in legal, mathematical, and theoretical discussions where parallelism or simultaneous occurrence matters.
- You’ll often mispronounce as con-CER-ence or con-CURE-ence by misplacing the middle vowel. Try to separate the syllables to feel the rhythm: con - CUR - rence. - Middle vowel misarticulation: avoid turning /ɜː/ into /ɪ/ or /ə/. Use a focused tongue position: mid-central to close-mid back with lips relaxed. - Final /rən(t)s/ or /rəns/ could blur; keep /r/ before the ending /əns/ and avoid turning into /rəns/ with a rolled r in non-rhotic speech. Practice with minimal pairs: con vs. con- to lock the initial unstressed /kən/.
"The jury reached concurrence on the verdict after hours of deliberation."
"There is a high degree of concurrence between the two studies’ results, supporting the hypothesis."
"The concurrence of rainfall and travel delays disrupted the event schedule."
Pronounce con-CUR-rence with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /kənˈkɜːrəns/. Start with a schwa + n, then a stressed /ˈkɜː/ like ‘cur’ in ‘curb,’ followed by /rən(t)s/ ending. The 'r' is rhotic in US; in UK/AU accents, the /ɜː/ vowel remains, with non-rhotic endings in some contexts. A quick tip: keep the /ˈkɜː/ fold tight, then an unstressed schwa or reduced vowel before the final /ns/.
Two common mistakes: (1) Misplacing stress, saying con-CUR-rence with the stress on the first syllable. (2) Reducing the middle vowel too much or mispronouncing /ɜː/ as /ɪ/ or /ɛ/. Correction: keep the primary stress on the second syllable, pronounce /kən/ quickly as unstressed, then /ˈkɜːr/ with a tense mid-central vowel, and finish with /rəns/ or /rəns/ depending on accent. Practice the sequence: /kən/ + /ˈkɜːr/ + /əns/.
In US English, you’ll hear /kənˈkɜːrəns/ with rhotic /r/ and a clear /ɜː/ in the stressed syllable. In many UK varieties, the /ɜː/ is similar, but rhoticity is reduced; you may feel less rhotic coloring in rapid speech. Australian English resembles British pronunciation for /ˈkɜːrəns/ but with more centralized starting vowel and vowel merging in fast speech. Overall, the key is maintaining /ˈkɜː/ in the stressed open syllable and an unrounded final /əns/.
Because it centers on a stressed, mid-back vowel /ɜː/ that’s easy to mis-articulate, plus a cluster ending /rəns/ that can blur into /rənz/ or /rəns/. The sequence /kənˈkɜːrəns/ requires quick transition from a light /kən/ to a tense /ˈkɜː/ and a clear /rəns/. Practitioners must control the vowel quality and keep the /r/ unobtrusive in non-rhotic varieties. Consistent practice with minimal pairs helps lock in the timing.
A unique detail is the sequence ending in ‘-rence,’ where the final syllable carries a light, almost reduced vowel before the /ns/ cluster. In careful speech, you maintain the clear /r/ before /əns/, avoiding merging to /-rns/ or dropping the r entirely in non-rhotic accents. The placement of the air stream and the alveolar /n/ followed by the velar-like /s/ requires slight tongue retraction at the end.
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- In US, stress clearly on second syllable; keep the /ɜː/ vowel robust and rhotic /r/. - In UK, preserve non-rhotic tendencies by softening the /r/ after vowels; still keep /ˈkɜː/ as the nucleus. - In AU, expect slightly broader vowels and less reduction in unstressed syllables; keep /kənˈkɜːrəns/ with a crisp final /əns/. - General tip: relax jaw, keep tongue mid-high behind the alveolar ridge for /ˈkɜː/; ensure the /n/ is syllabic before the /r/ if you’re fluent.
Concurrence originates from the noun concurrence, derived from the Latin concorrentia, from con- ‘together’ + currere ‘to run.’ The element curr- relates to running or flowing, extending to metaphorical flows of events. The Latin term concorrentia signified together running, or running in parallel. In Old French, concurrence appeared as concourance, borrowed into Middle English around the 14th century with similar senses of meeting or agreement. The core semantic shift moved from “running together” to “agreement or coincidence”—as events or actions that happen simultaneously or in harmony. Over time, the word broadened into legal, mathematical, and philosophical discourses to describe concurrent actions, concurrent jurisdiction, or concurrent causes. The pronunciation settled toward stress on the second syllable-conCURR-ence in many dialects, while spelling preserved the historical root cuRREnce. First known uses can be traced in legal and scholastic writings of late medieval Europe, and later expanded through scientific and mathematical treatises where simultaneous occurrences were key conceptual motifs.
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Words that rhyme with "concurrence"
-nce sounds
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