3 syllables: con, se, quent. Stress on con.
KAHN-suh-kwuhnt
/ˈkɑnsəkwənt/
consequent is pronounced KAHN-suh-kwuhnt (/ˈkɑnsəkwənt/). It has three syllables (con-se-quent), with the stress on "con". Conscious of the logical or causal implications that follow from something; following as a result. It can describe something that naturally or necessarily results from a prior action or condition, often used in formal or academic contexts. The word also appears as a noun, meaning a result or consequence.
Conscious of the logical or causal implications that follow from something; following as a result. It can describe something that naturally or necessarily results from a prior action or condition, often used in formal or academic contexts. The word also appears as a noun, meaning a result or consequence.
- You might default to saying CON-se-quent with primary stress on the first syllable. Fix: rehearse with the metrical pattern con-SE-quent and place focus on the second syllable using a slow, deliberate /ˈsɛ.kwənt/ before speeding up. - Another error is softening /kw/ into /k/ and /w/ separately, producing /ˈsɛn.kwən.t/ or /ˈsɛn.kwənt/ with awkward vowel shifts. Correction: practice the tight /kw/ blend, like /kw/ in 'quick' but longer, without inserting extra vowels. - Final /t/ may be released too softly or omitted, leading to a clipped ending. Correction: finish with a crisp alveolar /t/ release, keeping mouth ready for final /t/.
"The company faced penalties as a consequence of violating the safety protocols."
"Her argument was strengthened by the consequent evidence from multiple studies."
"Failing to back up your data with sources has its own consequences."
Usual pronunciation is /kənˈsɛ.kwənt/ (kən-SEH-kwənt). Stress is on the second syllable: con-SE-qu-ent. Start with a schwa in the first syllable, then a bright /ɛ/ as in 'bed' for the second syllable’s main vowel, followed by /kw/ cluster, and end with /ənt/. Tip: ensure the /kw/ is a single, tight consonant blend rather than a sequence of /k/ and /w/ separately. You can listen to authoritative models on Forvo or Cambridge dictionary audio for confirmation.
Two frequent errors: (1) Stressing the first syllable (con-SEquent) instead of the correct second-syllable stress; (2) Softening or mispronouncing the /kw/ as separate /k/ and /w/ sounds, producing 'con-se-quent' instead of the crisp /ˈsɛ.kwənt/. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable and smoothly blend /kw/ as a single consonant cluster: /ˈsɛ.kwənt/. Practice by saying 'sec' as /sɛk/ with a quick transition into /kw/ without inserting an extra vowel.
In US and UK, the main vowel in the stressed syllable is /ɛ/ in /ˈsɛ.kwənt/ with a clear /kw/ blend; rhoticity has little effect on this word. US speakers may slightly reduce the final /t/ or pronounce it more crisply; UK speakers often have tighter /t/ endings, sometimes with a terminal dental /t/ release. Australian English tends toward a slightly broader vowel in the first of the two main syllables and a broader, less centralized /ə/ in the final syllable, but the overall rhythm remains trochaic with stress on -SE-.
The difficulty lies in the two features: (a) accurate stress on the second syllable and (b) the /kw/ consonant cluster linking /sɛ/ to /wə/ without inserting extra vowels. The /kw/ blend can be soft for some speakers, creating something closer to /k w/ or /kwe/; the final /nt/ requires a clean alveolar stop release. Concentrate on a tight /kw/ glide and avoid turning it into /k/ plus /w/ with a separate vowel.
A distinctive feature is the strong secondary cue on the syllable boundary: con-SEC-quent has a clear morphological rhythm that can mask the vowel quality in casual speech. Ensure you maintain the /kw/ as a compact cluster and keep the /ə/ in the final syllable subtle but audible. In careful speech, you’ll hear a sharper onset for the second syllable and a crisper /t/ at the end.
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- US: maintain rhoticity unaffected; keep /r/ out of this word since it does not contain /r/. Vowels: /ˈsɛ/ with crisp /kw/; Final /ənt/ should sound like 'ənt' instead of 'ən(t)'. - UK: similar vowel but with slightly tenser /ɛ/ and crisper /t/; minor non-rhotic influence does not apply because the word ends with /t/. - AU: you may hear a slightly broader /ɪ/ or /eɪ/ in the first vowel depending on speaker; still keep /ˈsɛ.kwənt/ emphasis on -SE-. IPA references: /kənˈsɛ.kwənt/ US, /kənˈsek.wənt/ UK, /kənˈsek.wənt/ AU.
The word consequent comes from Middle English consequent, from Latin consequent- ‘following after’, from the verb consequi ‘to follow closely’ (con- ‘together, with’ + sequī ‘to follow’). The sense shift reflects its use in logic and philosophy to denote something that follows as a logical result, or in Aristotle’s and scholastic writings to describe outcomes that arise from premises. In English, the adjective use is well established by the 15th century, while the noun sense as ‘a result’ matured in scientific and legal language in the 17th–19th centuries. Today, consequent generally conveys inevitability or natural consequence in serious, formal text but can also appear as a standalone noun in academic writing. First known use evidence points to late medieval Latin via Old French and early English, aligning with other sequitur-derived terms that express sequence or logical follow-on. The evolution reflects a consistent thread: a consequence is something that follows, and consequent emphasizes that order of causation in reasoning or events.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "consequent" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "consequent"
-nce sounds
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