3 syllables: con, ver, gent. Stress on ver.
kuhn-VUR-juhnt
/kəˈnvɝdʒənt/
convergent is pronounced kuhn-VUR-juhnt (/kəˈnvɝdʒənt/). It has three syllables (con-ver-gent), with the stress on "ver". Convergent is an adjective describing things that come together or move toward a common point or result. In science and mathematics it often refers to processes that approach a limit or share a common outcome. It can also describe analogous development in different contexts that leads to similar conclusions or structures.
Convergent is an adjective describing things that come together or move toward a common point or result. In science and mathematics it often refers to processes that approach a limit or share a common outcome. It can also describe analogous development in different contexts that leads to similar conclusions or structures.
- You may stress the wrong syllable. Aim for the secondary syllable: con-VER-gent. Muddle between /vər/ and /vəː/; pick one and stay consistent across speech. - The /dʒ/ in /-dʒənt/ is easy to swallow as /jə/ or /ʒə/. Practice by saying “gent” with a soft dʒ, not a yod. Use the tongue’s blade to release air through the palate to create the /dʒ/. - Final consonant cluster /nt/ can be devoiced or collapsed in rapid speech. Practice holding /nt/ clearly, tapping the tip of your tongue to stop without releasing the vowel too early.
"Researchers tracked convergent evolution to explain how unrelated species develop similar traits."
"The convergent lines on the graph indicate values that approach the same limit."
"In geometry, a convergent sequence has terms that get arbitrarily close to a specific point."
Pronounce as /kən-ˈvər-jənt/ in US and UK; Australian ears align with /kən-ˈvɜːdʒənt/. The primary stress is on the second syllable: con- VER - gent. Position your tongue mid-high for the ‘ver’ vowel, let the ‘ven’ sound glide into a soft ‘j’ like the ‘g’ in ‘gentle’ but voiced as a /dʒ/ sound, then end with a weak schwa + nt. Practice by saying “con-VER-jent” and then make it smooth: con-vər-JENT.”,
Common mistakes include stressing the wrong syllable (con-Ver-gent instead of con-VER- gent) and pronouncing the medial /vər/ as a pure /vɚ/ or turning the /dʒ/ into a hard /g/ or /j/ sound. Correct by practicing the /ˈvɜːr/ or /ˈvər/ vowel cluster in the second syllable and producing the /dʒ/ as a single affricate /dʒ/ after that vowel, then finishing with a soft /ənt/ rather than a crisp /ənt/.
In US: /kən-ˈvər-dʒənt/ with rhoticity; the second syllable rhymes with ‘fur’. In UK: /kən-ˈvɜː.dʒənt/ with non-rhoticity in some accents; the /ɜː/ vowel is more centralized. In Australian: /kən-ˈvəːdʒənt/ or /kən-ˈvɜːdʒənt/, often a longer /əː/ and a slightly more rounded /ɜː/. The key differences lie in rhoticity and vowel quality of the second syllable.
The difficulty lies in the subtle vowel in the second syllable and the /dʒ/ sound following it. The sequence vər-/vəː/ can be unfamiliar if you don’t produce a clear mid-central to mid-back vowel, and the /dʒ/ needs to be a single, smooth affricate rather than a /dj/ or /ʒ/ sequence. Also, keep the final /nt/ from being swallowed in rapid speech.
Does the word’s prefix con- influence its pronunciation? Not significantly. The con- in convergent is unstressed, pronounced /kən/; the main energy sits on -VER- (con-VER-gent). The prefix behaves like many English prefixes: a light, unstressed 'kən' before the stressed syllable. Focus your attention on the stressed /ˈvər/ portion to maintain natural rhythm.
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- US: rhotic /r/; second syllable vowel often /ɜr/ or /ər/, keep a clearest jaw position to avoid swallowing the /r/. Emphasize a crisp /dʒ/ in -gent. - UK: less rhoticity; the /r/ is weaker; the second syllable vowel tends to be /əː/ or /ɜː/ depending on region. Try to keep /ˈvɜː.dʒənt/ where /ˈvɜː/ is a more open vowel. - AU: similar to US but with more vowel width; often /ˈvəːdʒənt/ or /ˈvɜː.dʒənt/; the /ə/ reduces in fast speech.
Convergent comes from the Latin convergent- (convergere) meaning to incline or come together. The verb convergere is formed from com- 'together' + vergere 'to bend, incline' and originally suggested things bending toward a common point. The English term appeared in the 17th–18th centuries in mathematical and geometric contexts to describe sequences or lines that approach one another. Over time, convergence broadened to refer to any process or result that tends toward a common endpoint, including logical arguments, evolutionary biology, and social processes. The word is used across disciplines, often paired with divergence to describe paths that move toward or away from a shared outcome. The suffix -ent suggests an active state or characteristic, reinforcing its meaning of proceeding toward a defined limit or shared property.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "convergent" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "convergent" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "convergent"
-ent sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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