How to pronounce "dereference" in English
dɪˈɹɛfɹəns
dih·REF·rəns
Primary stress: REF
Hear native speakers say dereference in context across real video clips
where the array begins. And a zero is the same as the value you get when you dereference the pointer to a. dereference the pointer to a.
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “dereference”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
dih
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
REF
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
rəns
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("REF"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "dereference" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“And a zero is the same as the value you get when you dereference the pointer to a.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Anyone happen to see something called a null dereference while you were working on breakout, for you folks?”— StanfordWatch clip
“Okay, I'll dereference the pointer X to store the number 42 into its pointee.”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“Because it does them after it's converted it into a dereference of a plus 8.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“case, when I try to do this, I get what's called a null dereference.”— StanfordWatch clip
“So, doing a dereference on X follows the”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
Practice Speaking “dereference”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
And a zero is the same as the value you get when you dereference the pointer to a.
Hear it in context: “dereference”
32 clipsThe English word “dereference” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as dɪˈɹɛfɹəns (phonetic respelling: dih-REF-rəns). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (dih · REF · rəns), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (REF). Grammatically, “dereference” functions as a verb, noun and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 32 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “dereference” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from MIT OpenCourseWare, Stanford, Harvard University.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #1 · @74:56
“where the array begins. And a zero is the same as the value you get when you dereference the pointer to a. dereference the pointer to a.”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #2 · @5:15
“called a null dereference. Anyone happen to see something called a null dereference while you were working on breakout, for you folks? while you were working on breakout, for you folks?”
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #3 · @6:27
“Hey, that looks better. So, make it do something. Okay, I'll dereference the pointer X to store the number 42 into its pointee. For this trick, I'll need my magic wand of dereferencing.”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #4 · @76:14
“actually the same thing. Because it does them after it's converted it into a dereference of a plus 8. dereference of a plus 8.”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #5 · @5:11
“means it's not pointing to any particular object, in which case, when I try to do this, I get what's called a null dereference. called a null dereference.”
Definition & Meaning: “dereference”
- To access the value or object located in a memory location addressed by a pointer or another value interpreted as such; to access a value being referenced by something else.
- To operate on the file or directory pointed to by a symbolic link, rather than on the link itself.
- The act by which something is dereferenced.
Example Sentences (3)
- “Attempting to dereference a null pointer often results in a crash.”
- “With the find command, any symbolic links appearing after -follow will be dereferenced.”
- “And a zero is the same as the value you get when you dereference the pointer to a.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “dereference”
- Pronunciation:
- dih-REF-rəns
- Syllables:
- dih · REF · rəns
- Written Hyphenation:
- de · re · fe · rence
- Primary stress:
- REF
- IPA:
- dɪˈɹɛfɹəns
- Hear it in context
- dereference
Synonyms: “dereference”
Hear words related in meaning to “dereference” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “dereference”
-ɛfrənsWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"dereference" (⁄dɪˈɹɛfɹəns⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "dereference" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about dereference
How do you pronounce “dereference”?
“dereference” is pronounced ⁄dɪˈɹɛfɹəns⁄ (dih-REF-rəns). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “dereference”?
“dereference” has 3 syllables: dih · REF · rəns.
Where is the stress in “dereference”?
The primary stress in “dereference” is on “REF”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “dereference” mean?
To access the value or object located in a memory location addressed by a pointer or another value interpreted as such; to access a value being referenced by something else.
How can I hear “dereference” used in real sentences?
This page has 32 real-world video examples of “dereference” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “dereference”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).