president

Pronounce PREZ-i-dent, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈprɛzɪdənt/. The first vowel is the open-mid front unrounded /ɛ/ as in 'bed', the second syllable is a short /ɪ/ as in 'kit', the third is a schwa /ə/ in the unstressed 'dent' part, and final 't' is typically a clear /t/ in careful speech or a softened /d/ in some rapid speech. Ensure the ‘z’ blends cleanly with the initial consonant cluster rather than de-voicing. You’ll benefit from a brief jaw/lip relax between syllables to maintain natural fluency.

Common errors include pronouncing as PREZ-i-dent with an over-emphasised 'z' making it sound like 'prezident' in some dialects, or misplacing the stress to second syllable (pre-SI-dent). Another pitfall is pronouncing the middle vowel as a full /i/ or /e/ rather than a neutral schwa /ə/. Correction: keep /ɪ/ in the second syllable and use a light schwa for the third. Practice by isolating PRE- and -dent with a relaxed jaw and checking the /z/ is voiced and blends smoothly with /r/.

Across accents, initial /prɛ/ remains stable, but vowel quality shifts: US tends to a clearer /ɛ/ as in 'bed', UK and AU maintain similar /ɛ/ but may have a slightly more centralized /ə/ in the third syllable. Rhotic accents (US) keep the 'r' linking in connected speech, while non-rhotic accents (some UK varieties) may drop post-vocalic /r/ making the sequence sound like /ˈprɛzɪdənt/ still, but with a shorter final r-coloring. The main difference is the quality of the middle vowel and the severity of linking in rapid speech.

Its difficulty comes from the unstressed schwa in the third syllable and the clash between the /z/ and /d/ phonemes when moving from a voiced fricative to a stop in rapid speech. The 'z' needs to be voiced and clearly separated from the following alveolar nasal /d/ onset for clarity. Additionally, maintaining even, light stress on the first syllable while the rest of the word remains quick and reduced makes it susceptible to misplacement of emphasis and vowel quality.

A notable feature is the pronounced sequence PREZ-i-dent with a strong first syllable and a weak, reduced third syllable, despite the final consonant. The word often undergoes vowel reduction in connected speech, where the /ɪ/ in the second syllable may be slightly reduced toward /ɪ/ or even a closer to /ə/ in casual speech. Ensure the /z/ remains distinct and avoid devoicing, particularly in careful speech.