How to Pronounce Adolescence

Adolescence is a word adults say constantly around teenagers and occasionally mispronounce in front of them. The spelling suggests more syllables than the word contains, and the related adjective adds to the wobble. One stress rule fixes both.

Four beats with the third loudest

Say ad-uh-LES-uhns with four beats and the strongest stress on LES.

Cambridge Dictionary's UK and US audio agree on the shape, and Merriam-Webster's entry matches. The first two syllables stay quick and unstressed: ad-uh, then LES lands, then uhns settles.

Why the -esc- spelling trips readers

The -esc- spelling suggests an extra s sound that is not there, so readers who sound out every letter add a fifth syllable.

ELSA Speak's syllable breakdown shows the same four-beat shape with stress on LES. Expectations from words like science, where the sc does work, make readers hunt for sounds the word never had. Once you hear the four beats, the spelling stops being a map and becomes decoration.

Practise the family together

Practise the noun adolescence and the adjective adolescent in one alternating drill, because both keep stress on LES and the drill prevents future mix-ups.

1. Say adolescence three times, listening for LES.
2. Say adolescent three times, same stress, final -ent.
3. Alternate: adolescence, adolescent, adolescence, adolescent.
4. Record one pass and check the stress never moved.

Alternating pairs lock stress patterns better than single-word repetition, which is why the drill pairs the two words instead of drilling one.

FAQ

Is adolescent pronounced the same way?

Yes in stress: ad-uh-LES-uhnt, with the same LES beat and a final -ent sound.

What does adolescence mean?

The teenage period of development between childhood and adulthood.

Is the British form different?

The stress pattern is the same; small vowel shading differs but never moves the stress.