2 syllables: En, trance. Stress on En.
EN-truhns
/ˈɛntɹəns/
Entrance is pronounced EN-truhns (/ˈɛntɹəns/). It has two syllables (En-trance), with the stress on "En". Entrance (noun) refers to a means of entering a place, such as a doorway or opening, or the act of entering. It also denotes a manner of receiving attention or admiration. The term can function as a location cue (the entrance to a hall) or as a verb form in passive senses, though here we focus on the noun usage and related phrases.
nounEntrance (noun) refers to a means of entering a place, such as a doorway or opening, or the act of entering. It also denotes a manner of receiving attention or admiration. The term can function as a location cue (the entrance to a hall) or as a verb form in passive senses, though here we focus on the noun usage and related phrases.
"The grand entrance impressed the guests as they stepped into the ballroom."
"She paused at the entrance before deciding whether to go in."
"His entrance into the debate changed the tone of the discussion."
You pronounce it with stress on the first syllable: /ˈɛn.trəns/. The first syllable has a short E like 'bet,' the second is a schwa /ə/, and the final consonant is /n(z)/ with a light, nearly silent linking in fast speech. IPA: US/UK: /ˈɛn.trəns/. Start with lips relaxed, tongue at the lower front teeth area for /ɛ/; glide into a neutral schwa for /ə/ and finish with /n/ plus /s/. Audio reference: you can compare with native speech on Pronounce or YouGlish.
Common mistakes include stressing the second syllable (er-NTRANCE) and replacing the /tr/ cluster with /dr/ or /t/ sounds. Some learners mispronounce the final /ns/ as /nz/, producing 'entranz'. Correct approach: keep the /tr/ gently aspirated, maintain the /ə/ as a shallow schwa, and release cleanly to /ns/. Another pitfall is a tense jaw around /ɛ/; relax the jaw to achieve the proper front vowel. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘entrance’ vs. ‘entrance’ (in-trans) to feel the rhythm.
In US, UK, and AU, the initial /ɛ/ stays similar, with rhoticity affecting the following vowel only in connected speech; all three generally use /ˈɛn.trəns/. US tends to have a slightly flatter intonation; UK often keeps a crisper /t/ in some dialects, while AU can feature a broader vowel in the first syllable and a non-rhotic or semi-rhotic approach depending on the speaker. The /ɹ/ sound is not pronounced in the second syllable; the schwa remains centralized across accents.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /tr/ after the stressed vowel and the reduced second syllable /tə/ turning into /trə/ with a subtle schwa. Learners often overemphasize the /t/ and /r/ or fail to de-stress the second syllable, leading to ‘EN-trance’ with an elongated breath. Mastery requires keeping the jaw relaxed for the schwa, a light, continuous /t/ release into /r/ (if present in your dialect) and a clean /ns/ ending.
Is there a silent letter or stress shift in 'Entrance' when used as a noun versus a verb? For this word, the noun form is stressed on the first syllable /ˈɛn.trəns/, and there is no silent letter; the second syllable is a short /trəns/. The verb form would shift to /ɪnˈtræns/ in some contexts? Not in standard usage—entrance as a verb is /ɪnˈtræns/ with primary stress on the second syllable when used as a verb meaning to capture someone’s attention or to cause someone to enter urgently. For the noun, stress remains on the first syllable.
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Entrance comes from Old French entrendre, from Latin intrare meaning to go into. The word entered English through Norman French in the sense of ‘a way in’ and later ‘the act of entering.’ The spelling reflects the assimilation of the Latin prefix trans- or intr- with -trance, similar to half-formed pairs like entrance/entrance. By Middle English, entrance was used to describe both the act of entering and the doorway itself, often in architectural or legal contexts. Over time, entrance broadened to include figurative senses (an entrance into a profession or society). First attested in English in the 14th century, use evolved with shifts in architecture and social spaces, where doors and thresholds became symbolic as both literal openings and gateways to opportunities or attention. Modern usage retains both the physical doorway sense and the more abstract sense of entry or approach.” ,
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Words that rhyme with "Entrance"
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