3 syllables: con, fi, dent. Stress on con.
KAHN-fuh-duhnt
/ˈkɑnfədənt/
confident is pronounced KAHN-fuh-duhnt (/ˈkɑnfədənt/). It has three syllables (con-fi-dent), with the stress on "con". Confident describes a person who is self-assured and certain in their abilities or judgments. It also characterizes a demeanor that conveys assurance, steadiness, and trustworthiness. The word often appears in contexts of capability, risk tolerance, and belief in outcomes, typically implying a positive, stable attitude rather than swagger or arrogance.
Confident describes a person who is self-assured and certain in their abilities or judgments. It also characterizes a demeanor that conveys assurance, steadiness, and trustworthiness. The word often appears in contexts of capability, risk tolerance, and belief in outcomes, typically implying a positive, stable attitude rather than swagger or arrogance.
- Common mistake: stressing the second syllable (con-FI-dent) instead of the first. Fix: rehearse with a slow beat, tapping the first syllable and keeping the middle vowel short. - Mistake: mispronouncing the middle /ɪ/ as /iː/ (long) or as /ɪə/; fix by practicing with a focused mouth position where the jaw lowers slightly and the tongue stays relaxed. - Mistake: softening the final /t/ to a stop or dropping /d/; fix by clearly articulating the /d/ and the schwa before the final /nt/, ending with a crisp /nt/.” ,
"She spoke with a confident tone, outlining her plan clearly."
"The team performed confidently after months of preparation."
"A confident swimmer navigated the open water despite choppy seas."
Pronounced /ˈkɔn.fɪ.dənt/ (US/UK) with stress on the first syllable. Start with the /k/ release, then /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ as in 'cot', followed by /n/; the second syllable uses a short /ɪ/ as in 'kit' and a schwa /ə/ in the final /dənt/. The 'fi' is actually /fɪ/ and the ending /dənt/ has a light /d/ and schwa before the final /nt/. Say: CON-fih-dunt with a crisp consonant onset and a relaxed, neutral final.”,
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying con-FI-dent) and mispronouncing the middle vowel as /iː/ or /iːə/ instead of the short /ɪ/. Another pitfall is weakening the final consonant cluster to /nt/ becoming /n̩/ or dropping the /d/; ensure a clear /d/ before /ənt/. Practice with the full /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dənt/ and keep the /ɪ/ short and the /d/ audible.”,
US/UK/AU share the initial /ˈkɒn/ or /ˈkɑːn/ depending on rhotic accents, but rhoticity can affect the following vowels slightly. In US non-rhotic regions, there may be a subtle r-coloring avoided in some speakers, but with /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dənt/ the core vowels remain distinct. UK tends to a clearer /ɒ/ in the first syllable, while AU often aligns with General Australian vowels, with a somewhat tighter /ɪ/ and a softer /ənt/. Overall, the main differences are very subtle and mostly affect the quality of the first vowel and the speed of the /t/ release.”,
Two main challenges: the short, lax /ɪ/ in the second syllable can easily become a longer /iː/ or a reduced vowel, and the /d/ before /ənt/ can blur in rapid speech, leading to /dənt/ or /dənt/ without a clear /d/. The sequence /n.fɪ.d/ also requires precise linking: the tongue must transition smoothly from the nasal /n/ to the labiodental /f/ and then into /d/. Slow, precise articulation helps maintain accuracy.”,
No. Confident is a trochaic word with primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈkɔn.fɪ.dənt/. The middle 'fi' is part of the second syllable: /fɪ/. It’s a single syllable nucleus with a consonant cluster around it, not a separate stressed syllable. Focus on keeping the /f/ immediately after the initial consonant and maintaining a short /ɪ/ vowel in that syllable.”]}],
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US: rhotics are common; pronounce /ˈkɔn.fɪ.dənt/ with a clear /ɹ/ in rhotic speakers? Actually confident has no /ɹ/ in the nucleus; US tends to a crisp /ɔn/ with a lightly aspirated /k/; UK: slightly flatter /ɒ/ and crisper /t/; AU: similar to UK but softer vowels and a condensed /ə/ in the final; For all, keep the final syllable quick and reduce the vowel in -dent to a schwa. IPA references for guidance: US /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dənt/ or /ˈkɑːn.fɪ.dənt/, UK /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dənt/, AU /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dənt/.
Confident comes from the Latin confidere, meaning 'to trust completely' (con- 'together' + fidere 'to trust'). This gave rise to the Old French confidant and later Middle English confident, originally meaning 'trusted' or 'trustful' and by extension, 'sure of oneself.' The sense evolved from describing trust in others to trust in one’s own abilities during the 15th–16th centuries. By early modern English, confident referred to a state of assuredness or self-reliance, often used in moral or intellectual contexts. The modern usage spans adjectives and adverbs (confidently), maintaining the core sense of firm belief or certainty, and it remains one of the clearest markers of perceived competence and composure in communication.
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Words that rhyme with "confident"
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