3 syllables: hen, der, son. Stress on hen.
HEN-dur-suhn
/ˈhɛndɚsən/
henderson is pronounced HEN-dur-suhn (/ˈhɛndɚsən/). It has three syllables (hen-der-son), with the stress on "hen". Henderson is a proper noun, most commonly a surname or place name. It consists of two syllables and is pronounced with initial /ˈhɛn.dər.sən/ in many varieties of English, though the second syllable may be reduced. The name carries a neutral, formal register and is typically used as a reference to a person or geographic location rather than a common noun. Overall, it’s a two-stress, three-syllable word with a light, unstressed final syllable.
Henderson is a proper noun, most commonly a surname or place name. It consists of two syllables and is pronounced with initial /ˈhɛn.dər.sən/ in many varieties of English, though the second syllable may be reduced. The name carries a neutral, formal register and is typically used as a reference to a person or geographic location rather than a common noun. Overall, it’s a two-stress, three-syllable word with a light, unstressed final syllable.
"The Henderson family booked a table near the window."
"We visited Henderson Park on our afternoon walk."
"Henderson et al. published a landmark study in 1998."
Pronounce as /ˈhɛn.dər.sən/ in US/UK/AU. Put primary stress on the first syllable: HEN-dər-sən. The middle syllable reduces to a schwa /ə/ and the final -son is unstressed and lightly voiced. You’ll want to start with a light lip spread for /h/ and open front vowel /ɛ/ as in “bet,” then a quick, soft /d/ plus a reduced /ər/ before a light /sən/ cluster. Listen for the natural rhythm: two main beats with a gentle trailing -sən. IPA cues: US /ˈhɛn.dər.sən/, UK /ˈhɛn.də.sən/; AU follows US-like rhythm but with slightly crisper /ə/ in the second syllable.
Common errors include pronouncing the middle syllable as a full /dər/ (as in dare) instead of a reduced /dər/ or /də/; misplacing stress on the second syllable (hen-DER-son) or softening the final /n/ too much. To correct: keep the primary stress on the first syllable /ˈhɛn/; reduce the middle to /dər/ with a quick, light /ˈɜr/ or /ə/ quality depending on accent; finish with a clear, lightly articulated /sən/. Practice with minimal pairs like /ˈhɛn.dər.sən/ vs /ˈhɛn.də.sən/ to normalize the schwa and final -sən.
US and AU typically maintain a clearer /ɜr/ in the /dər/ portion and a distinct /sən/ final; UK often reduces the middle to /də/ and may flatten the final to /sən/ with less rhotics, especially in non-rhotic varieties where /r/ is less pronounced. In all variants, the primary stress remains on the first syllable; the exact vowel quality of /ɛ/ and /ə/ shifts subtly by accent. Overall, Henderson remains recognizable across dialects, with minor rhotic and vowel length differences shaping its cadence.
The difficulty lies in balancing the reduced middle syllable with the clear initial stress and a trailing /sən/ ending. English speakers often over-articulate the middle /ər/ or misplace the stress, producing hen-DER-son or HEN-dər-sən. Precise articulation of the second syllable as a reduced /ər/ plus a light /sən/ is crucial. Pay attention to airflow for the /h/, the quick /d/, and the soft final /ən/ that blends into /sən/ in fluent speech.
A unique aspect of Henderson is the treatment of the final -son in many accents. In American and Australian speech, you generally hear a clear -son ending with /sən/, while some UK pronunciations shorten the vowel in the middle syllable and can even reduce /ər/ to a schwa-like /ə/. The balance between the first stressed syllable and the lightly reduced final syllable gives Henderson its characteristic, three-syllable cadence. Remember the onset /h/ is aspirated, and the /d/ is a light alveolar stop sandwiched between the vowel sounds.
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Henderson originates from the English habitational and patronymic naming traditions. It is a patronymic surname meaning ‘son of Henry/Hendrick/Hendry’ with the diminutive/possessive suffix -son, common in Scotland and Northern England. The root Henry derives from Germanic words heri- ‘army’ and gari- ‘spear’, evolving into names signifying leadership or strength. The form Henderson as a surname emerged in medieval Britain, with early spellings such as Hendresoun and Hendrusoun appearing in charters and parish records. In genealogical records, Henderson appears as a Scottish and Northern English surname associated with families that settled in Ulster and the American colonies during the 17th–18th centuries. The place-name variants refer to settlements named Henderson in the US and UK. Over time, Henderson has become a widely used last name and place name, often anglicized in non-English-speaking regions, and used in contemporary contexts as a proper noun rather than a common noun, retained for branding and identity purposes.
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Words that rhyme with "henderson"
-son sounds
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