3 syllables: den, si, ty. Stress on den.
DEN-suh-tee
/ˈdɛnsəti/
density is pronounced DEN-suh-tee (/ˈdɛnsəti/). It has three syllables (den-si-ty), with the stress on "den". Density refers to the amount of mass per unit volume, indicating how compact or concentrated something is. In science, it describes the relationship between mass and volume (density = mass/volume). It also appears metaphorically to mean a crowding or heaviness of a concept or material. The term is used across physics, materials science, and everyday descriptions of objects.
Density refers to the amount of mass per unit volume, indicating how compact or concentrated something is. In science, it describes the relationship between mass and volume (density = mass/volume). It also appears metaphorically to mean a crowding or heaviness of a concept or material. The term is used across physics, materials science, and everyday descriptions of objects.
"The density of iron is higher than that of aluminum."
"Researchers measured the density of the solution to determine its concentration."
"The density of the crowd made it difficult to move through the plaza."
Density is pronounced with three syllables: /ˈdɛn.sɪ.ti/. The primary stress is on the first syllable: DEN-si-ty. The middle vowel is a short, lax /ɪ/ as in 'sit,' and the final /i/ often sounds like a light 'ee' or a near-schwa [ti]. Practice by saying DEN — sit — tee quickly and evenly, ensuring the /n/ stays clear. See IPA references above for precise articulation.
Common errors include reducing the middle syllable to a strong schwa or misplacing the stress (e.g., deN-si-ty). Some speakers flatten the /ɪ/ to a more central vowel and shorten the final /i/ into a clipped sound. Correct by emphasizing the first syllable, keeping the middle /ɪ/ distinct, and giving the final /ti/ a light, crisp /i/ rather than a dull vowel. Slow practice with minimal pairs helps solidify the pattern.
In US, UK, and AU, density keeps the DEN-stress pattern, but vowel quality shifts slightly. US tends toward /ˈdɛn.sɪ.ti/ with a more open /ɛ/ and clear /ɪ/ in the middle. UK often retains a slightly crisper /ˈden.sɪ.ti/ with less vowel reduction. Australian English mirrors US but may have a softer final /i/ and broader /æ/ in related words. The rhoticity does not affect density, as /ɹ/ is not present. IPA transcriptions help you compare subtly.
Three challenges: 1) Keeping the initial strong stress on the first syllable while not overemphasizing it; 2) Maintaining distinct short vowel /ɛ/ in the first syllable and /ɪ/ in the second, without letting them merge; 3) Ending with a crisp, light /ti/ rather than slurring into /iː/ or /ɪ/. Your tongue must stay high for /i/ but relaxed for the prior /ɪ/. Practice deliberate syllable-by-syllable progression and then speed.
Is the 'ti' at the end a 't' with a 'y' offglide or a soft 'ti' as in 'tiny'? Answer: It’s /ti/ with a clean /t/ followed by a short /i/; there is often a subtle y-offglide in rapid speech, but in careful enunciation you should hear the clear /t/ and a light /i/. Focus on an unreleased or lightly released /t/ depending on speech rate.
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Density comes from the Latin densus, meaning 'thick, crowded, close together,' which itself derives from the verb densare, meaning 'to make dense.' The term entered English via late Latin and Old French, where it carried the sense of 'thickness' or 'compactness.' In the 17th century, density began to be used in scientific contexts to denote mass per unit volume, aligning with the broader scientific move toward quantitative properties. The root densus is linked to dense in the sense of a material that is closely packed. Over time, density broadened to include abstract uses (e.g., density of a crowd, density of information), but its core meaning—how much matter or substance is packed into a space—remains intact. The first known technical uses appeared in works on buoyancy and material properties, with authors leveraging density to distinguish substances and predict behavior under pressure. By the 1800s, density was a standard physical property in chemistry and physics, underpinning formulas, instruments, and material design. In contemporary usage, density is ubiquitous in science and everyday language, often paired with volume, mass, and porosity to describe how a substance or idea is packed or concentrated.
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Words that rhyme with "density"
-ity sounds
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