2 syllables: Ess, ence. Stress on Ess.
ES-uhns
/ˈɛsəns/
Essence is pronounced ES-uhns (/ˈɛsəns/). It has two syllables (Ess-ence), with the stress on "Ess". Essence is the intrinsic, indispensable quality that determines the character of something; the essential meaning or most important aspect of a thing. In everyday language it often refers to the core nature or indispensable element that defines what something really is, beyond superficial attributes.
nounEssence is the intrinsic, indispensable quality that determines the character of something; the essential meaning or most important aspect of a thing. In everyday language it often refers to the core nature or indispensable element that defines what something really is, beyond superficial attributes.
"The essence of her argument was clarity: simple, direct reasoning."
"In chemistry, an essence refers to a concentrated extract obtained from plant material."
"He captured the essence of the era in his novel, focusing on mood and social dynamics."
Essence is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈɛs.əns/. The primary stress is on the first syllable. The first vowel is a short e as in ‘let,’ followed by a light schwa in the second syllable, and ends with /ns/ cluster. Say “ESS-əns,” keeping the second syllable short and quick. For reference, use audio examples from dictionaries or Pronounce as a guide to hear the exact mouth positions. IPA: US /ˈɛs.əns/, UK /ˈɛs.əns/, AU /ˈɛs.əns/.
Common errors include turning the first syllable into /iː/ as in ‘ease’ or over-pronouncing the second syllable as /əːns/ instead of a quick /əns/. Some speakers insert a stronger ‘e’ sound between syllables, producing /ˈeɪ.səns/. The fix: keep the first syllable as /ˈɛs/ and use a brief /ə/ for the second syllable with the /ns/ ending; practice with minimal pairs like SENSE vs ESSENCE, focusing on the short ‘e’ and the light second syllable.
In US, UK, and AU, the pronunciation is broadly /ˈɛs.əns/. The main difference is vowel quality: US /ˈɛ/ often sounds a bit lower than UK /ˈe/ in some speakers, but both are short front vowels. Final syllable /əns/ remains unstressed and reduced. UK speakers may sound slightly closer to /ˈes.əns/ with a crisper /s/ before the /ə/. Australian tends toward a similar pattern with a light, centralized /ə/ and a compact /ns/ ending. Remember the stress stays on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈɛs.əns/.
The difficulty lies in the light, unstressed second syllable /ə/ and the /ns/ cluster; many learners overemphasize the second syllable or merge it with /z/ or /ns/ into /əsˈens/. The challenge is producing a clean short vowel and a crisp /ns/ without inserting a vowel between /s/ and /n/. Focus on a quick, reduced /ə/ and then a smooth /ns/ transition. IPA guides show /ˈɛs.əns/.
Essence uniquely balances a strong initial consonant cluster with a nearly invisible second vowel. The first syllable has a crisp /s/ after the initial /ɛ/ and the /s/ in /ˈɛs/ is not aspirated much; then the /ə/ is a relaxed, quick vowel before the /ns/ ending. Practicing with IPA helps: /ˈɛs.əns/ (US/UK/AU). You’ll hear the rhythm as two quick beats: /ˈɛs/ then /əns/.
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US: /ˈɛs.əns/ with a strong first vowel, slight rhoticity no; UK: /ˈɛs.əns/ similarly, but subtle vowel quality differences, less rhotic emphasis; AU: /ˈɛs.əns/ often with a marginally more centralized /ə/ and a clipped second syllable. Vowel contrasts: keep /ɛ/ as in ‘dress,’ avoid a close /e/ or /i/. Consonant cluster /sən/ can be made smoother by avoiding a voiceless insertion between /s/ and /n/. Reference IPA positions: lips relaxed, tongue high-mid for /ɛ/, center for /ə/, teeth lightly touching for /s/. For all accents, ensure the /ns/ is a single syllabic unit rather than two separate sounds. Use rhotic awareness: US is non-rhotic but in general pronunciation, the /r/ does not apply here. Accent tip: practice with minimal pairs like “essence” vs “evidence” to tune vowel and rhythm.
Essence comes from the Old French essence, from Latin essentia, from esse ‘to be.’ The Latin root esse evolves from Proto-Italic *ess- and Proto-Indo-European *es- meaning ‘to be’ or ‘to exist.’ In Latin, essentia signified ‘what exists, being, substance,’ and later expanded to ‘the intrinsic nature of a thing.’ The concept entered English via French in the 14th–15th centuries, retaining the philosophical sense of the fundamental nature or most important quality of something. Over time, essence broadened to refer to concentrated extracts from plants (for example, vanilla essence) in the 16th–18th centuries, leveraging the idea that a small amount captures the core character of a substance. Today, essence is used in philosophy, chemistry, food flavoring, and everyday talk to denote the indispensable quality or core truth of something. The word carries both abstract and tangible senses, balancing metaphysical core with practical concentration. Its first known use in English is attested in the late Middle English period, aligning with translations of Latin/philosophical texts that discuss essence as the inherent nature of beings or things.
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Words that rhyme with "Essence"
-nse sounds
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