3 syllables: De, po, sit. Stress on po.
duh-PAH-zit
/dəˈpɑzɪt/
Deposit is pronounced duh-PAH-zit (/dəˈpɑzɪt/). It has three syllables (De-po-sit), with the stress on "po". Deposit (noun) refers to something placed for safekeeping, such as money in a bank, or a layer or accumulation laid down, especially in geology or chemistry. It denotes the act of placing something somewhere for storage or later use, and by extension can describe funds paid in advance to secure a service. In finance, a deposit is often a sum paid upfront or held as security.
nounDeposit (noun) refers to something placed for safekeeping, such as money in a bank, or a layer or accumulation laid down, especially in geology or chemistry. It denotes the act of placing something somewhere for storage or later use, and by extension can describe funds paid in advance to secure a service. In finance, a deposit is often a sum paid upfront or held as security.
- Common Mistakes: • Stress misplacement: People often say /ˈdɪpəzɪt/ or place primary stress on the first syllable; correct by practicing the two-syllable stress pattern: dɪ-ˈpɒzɪt. • Vowel quality in the second syllable: Mispronouncing the second-syllable vowel as a short /ɪ/ or /e/; aim for /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ in the nucleus of /ˈpɒzɪt/. • Final /t/ articulation: Don’t voice it as /d/ or drop it; keep a crisp alveolar stop: /t/. Use a light release just before the next word. Practice: say it in frames: “de-POS-it” and use lip rounding for /ɒ/ to /ɑː/, then release to /zɪt/.
How to Pronounce Deposit
"She made a large deposit into her savings account yesterday."
"The sedimentary deposit covered the riverbed with a fine layer of silt."
"A nonrefundable deposit is required to reserve the venue for the wedding."
Deposit is pronounced with primary stress on the second syllable: /dɪˈpɒzɪt/ (UK/US variant with /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ as in ‘cot’). In American English, you’ll often hear /dɪˈpɑːzɪt/ or /ˈdɛpəzɪt/ in fast speech; for the noun, keep the /ɪ/ initial and the /ˈpɒ/ or /ˈpɑː/ via the second syllable, then /zɪt/. Focus on the /p/ followed by a clear /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ vowel before /zɪt/. Audio reference: listen to native pronunciations on Pronounce or Forvo and align with the IPA: US /dɪˈpɑzɪt/, UK /dɪˈpɒzɪt/, AU /dɪˈpɒzɪt/.
Common mistakes: 1) Stress misplacement, pronouncing /dɪˈpɔzɪt/ or /ˈdɛpəzɪt/; fix by stressing the second syllable. 2) Vowel lip rounding: use /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ rather than a schwa in the second syllable; practice with the /p/ plus a rounded lower vowel. 3) Slurring the /t/ or turning it into a /d/ in quick speech; keep a crisp alveolar /t/ at the end. Practice by isolating the second syllable: /ˈpɒ/ or /ˈpɑː/ then /zɪt/.
US: /dɪˈpɑːzɪt/ with rhoticity and a broad /ɑː/ in the second syllable; UK: /dɪˈpɒzɪt/ with a short /ɒ/ and less rhoticity; AU: /dɪˈpɒzɪt/ similar to UK, but with non-rhotic tendencies and vowels approaching /ɒ/ depending on individual speaker. The main differences lie in the second-syllable vowel height and length, and in rhotics: US tends to be rhotic; UK/AU may be non-rhotic in many dialects.
Difficulties stem from the two-syllable stress pattern on the second syllable and the short vowel before the /z/; many non-native speakers misplace stress or mispronounce the /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ vowel. The final /t/ should be a precise alveolar stop, not a flap. Additionally, the initial reduced vowel /ɪ/ can blend with the following consonant if spoken quickly. Focusing on the sequence /dɪ/ + /ˈpɒzɪt/ helps clarity.
No silent letters in the standard pronunciation; the word is pronounced with two syllables, stress on the second: /dɪˈpɒzɪt/ (US: /dɪˈpɑːzɪt/). The 'e' in spelling is not pronounced; the 'i' in the second syllable is short. The primary challenge is maintaining steady stress on syllable two and producing a crisp final /t/. For consistent pronunciation, think of the second syllable as 'poz-it' with a clearly enunciated /z/ before /ɪt/.
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- US: rhotic, more forward /ɪ/ in initial; /ɑː/ or /ɒ/ in second syllable depending on speaker; stress on second syllable. - UK: shorter /ɒ/ in second syllable, non-rhotic; /ɒ/ often closer to /ɔː/ in some regions; stress on second syllable. - AU: similar to UK with variances; sometimes slight American-like vowel lengthening in rapid speech; keep /dɪ/ + /ˈpɒzɪt/. IPA references: US /dɪˈpɑzɪt/, UK /dɪˈpɒzɪt/, AU /dɪˈpɒzɪt/.
Deposit comes from the Latin depositus, past participle of deponere, meaning to put down or lay aside. The prefix de- means 'down' and ponere means 'to place' or 'to put'. In Latin, deponere evolved to Old French deposer, then to English via Old French dépositer and deposité, with the noun form depositum entering English in the late 15th century. Initially, the sense centered on placing something down for safekeeping, especially money or valuables. Over time, it broadened to financial contexts (money placed in an account) and geological contexts (a layer laid down as sediment). By the 17th–18th centuries, banking usage expanded sharply, with “deposit” signifying money left in trust or security. The term now encompasses multiple domains: finance, geology, chemistry (a deposit as a precipitated substance), and general lay usage for any placement or accumulation. The pronunciation stabilized in modern English with stress on the second syllable (de-POST), while some compounds and usages retain variable stress in derived phrases (e.g.,
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Words that rhyme with "Deposit"
-sit sounds
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