2 syllables: de, scend. Stress on scend.
dis-END
/dɪˈsɛnd/
descend is pronounced dis-END (/dɪˈsɛnd/). It has two syllables (de-scend), with the stress on "scend". Descend means to move or fall downward from a higher position to a lower one. It can describe physical movement, ascent from a higher place, or the transfer of objects or status from a higher to a lower level. The term implies downward direction or descent over a surface, often with a sense of controlled or gradual lowering.
Descend means to move or fall downward from a higher position to a lower one. It can describe physical movement, ascent from a higher place, or the transfer of objects or status from a higher to a lower level. The term implies downward direction or descent over a surface, often with a sense of controlled or gradual lowering.
"The hikers began to descend the mountain as the sun dipped below the ridge."
"Snow clumps loose and descend slowly from the rooftop after a heavy storm."
"Air traffic controllers instructed us to descend to 5,000 feet for landing."
Pronounce it di- SEND with primary stress on the second syllable: /dɪˈsɛn(d)/. Begin with a short, relaxed /d/ release, then a clear /ɪ/ vowel, followed by /ˈsɛn/ and a final /d/. In connected speech the final /d/ can be lightly released or even de-emphasized in quick phrases. IPA: US/UK/AU /dɪˈsɛnd/.
Common errors include misplacing the stress as DE-send instead of di-SEND, pronouncing the second syllable as /ˈsɛnd/ without a clear vowel reduction, and truncating the final /d/ to a soft /t/ sound in rapid speech. To correct: keep primary stress on the second syllable, ensure the /ɪ/ is a short, lax vowel, and drive the final /d/ with a full alveolar closure before a slight release, even in fast speech.
In US/UK/AU, the core is /dɪˈsɛnd/. The rhoticity doesn’t alter the vowel; however, in some British accents you may hear a slightly longer vowel in careful speech and a softer /d/ at phrase end. Australians typically maintain the same vowel quality but may have a slightly shortened /ɪ/ and a more clipped final /d/ in casual speech. Overall, the difference is subtle; main perceptual cue is the vowel quality and the speed of the final consonant.
The difficulty lies in maintaining accurate vowel length in the diphthong area around /ɪ/ and the crisp articulation of the final /nd/ cluster in fast speech. Many speakers reduce the /ɪ/ to a schwa in rapid phrases, turning it into /dəˈsɛnd/ or blending /nd/ with surrounding sounds. Focusing on holding a distinct /ɪ/ and releasing the final /d/ cleanly helps preserve the correct sound.
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Descend comes from the Latin descendere, literally “to climb down,” from de- “down” + scandere “to climb.” The term entered English via Old French as descendre, with related forms in science and law as early as the 14th century. The sense shifted from physically going down a height to more abstract applications like prices descending, or moral decline. By the 17th–18th centuries, descend was common in travel narratives, geology, and anatomy (blood descends through vessels). The modern usage spans directions (downward movement), hierarchies (descends from a line), and metaphorical declines (markets, fortunes). Its non-stressed form in rapid speech often becomes /dɪˈsɛnd/ or /dɪˈsɛnd/, with secondary stress patterns appearing in compound phrases like “it descends from.” The noun form with stress shift to first syllable, “descent,” is closely related, retaining the same Latin roots but with a different word class. First known uses in English appear in Middle English texts, with standard spellings established by Early Modern English, reflecting the fusion of Latin and French roots into common movement verbs. Overall, the word anchors a semantic field of downward movement and transfer, both literal and figurative, across centuries of English usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "descend" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "descend"
-end sounds
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