2 syllables: Rid, dance. Stress on Rid.
RID-uhns
/ˈɹɪdəns/
Riddance is pronounced RID-uhns (/ˈɹɪdəns/). It has two syllables (Rid-dance), with the stress on "Rid". Riddance is a noun used to express relief at being rid of someone or something undesirable, often in the wake of a change or removal. It conveys a sense of finality and satisfaction, typically following a release from obligation, influence, or nuisance. The term is commonly found in idiomatic phrases like “good riddance.”.
nounRiddance is a noun used to express relief at being rid of someone or something undesirable, often in the wake of a change or removal. It conveys a sense of finality and satisfaction, typically following a release from obligation, influence, or nuisance. The term is commonly found in idiomatic phrases like “good riddance.”
"Good riddance to that stubborn leak—it's finally fixed."
"We moved away, and with the new year came good riddance to old routines."
"If you never have to deal with that bureaucrat again, then good riddance."
Pronounce it RID-dence with the primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈrɪ.dəns/. Start with /r/ as a trilled or tapped initial, then /ɪ/ as a short vowel, followed by a soft /d/ and a schwa /ə/ in the second syllable, finishing with /ns/. Think “RID” + “dence,” where the second syllable is quick and reduced. Listen for the clear /d/ before the final /ns/ to avoid turning it into a simple ‘-ents’.
Common errors include: 1) Slurring the second syllable too heavily and saying /ˈrɪdəns/ with a strong schwa and a silent or weak /d/—correct by ensuring the /d/ is audible before /ə/ and /ns/. 2) Changing /ɪ/ to a more open /ɛ/ in the first syllable—keep the short /ɪ/ as in rim. 3) Overemphasizing the second syllable leading to /ˈrɪdərəns/—keep it brief and light, with a quick /ə/ and the final /ns/.
Across accents, the core /ˈrɪ.dəns/ remains, but vowel quality shifts slightly. US and UK generally keep /ɪ/ in the first syllable and a schwa /ə/ in the second, with the final /ns/ clear. In some UK varieties, the /ɪ/ may sound closer to /ɪə/ in fast speech, while US tends to a tighter /ɪ/. Australian English maintains the same pattern but with a more centralized /ə/ and a slightly broader /æ/ variation in some speakers; however, rhoticity is not a major factor here since the word is not rhotic in any standard form.
The challenge lies in the short, clipped /ɪ/ of the first syllable and the fast, nearly reduced second syllable /dəns/. It’s easy to blend /d/ into the following schwa, making it sound like /ˈrɪdəns/ or /ˈrɪdən(t)s/. Focus on keeping the /d/ audible right before the /ə/ and maintain the final /ns/ without nasalizing into /m/ or /nz/.
A distinctive feature is the sharp /d/ onset in the second syllable after the initial /rɪ/. Unlike some endings, -ance here yields an /əns/ rather than a full /eɪns/ or /ɑːns/ in most dialects. You feel a quick, light central vowel moving into a crisp /ns/ cluster. This precise timing—clear /d/ before /ə/—is what gives riddance its crisp, emphatic sound.
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Riddance comes from the phrase good riddance, which dates back to early modern English. The noun rid is from Old English ridan/ridan “to clear, free, remove,” connected to German reiten in sense of riding away a burden. The formation good riddance uses rid as a root meaning making something go away or disappear, with -ance forming an abstract noun indicating state or condition. The idiom likely emerged from exclamatory usage in the 16th-17th centuries, expressing relief that something burdensome is gone. Over time, riddance became a stand-alone noun in English, often used with “good” for emphasis. The word retains a colloquial, somewhat blunt tone, frequently appearing in informal speech rather than formal writing. The history reflects a pragmatic focus on the emotional relief of removal rather than the technical act of ridding, and it remains a vivid marker of sentiment in everyday conversations.
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Words that rhyme with "Riddance"
-me) sounds
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