How to pronounce "important" in English
ɪmˈpɔːr.tənt
im·POR·tənt
Primary stress: POR
Hear native speakers say important in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “important”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
im
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
POR
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
tənt
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("POR"). 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 "important" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "important is" sounds like "important-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "important" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“important that Freud understood uh that the mind is first and foremost something subjective uh that means that he was”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“important context we missed missed, which is the US got involved in the Shah and how he governed Iran.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“important academic study published in the 1960s, a book called Hamlet's Mill by Giorgio de Santillana, Professor of”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“important thing. And I think all we see is monogamy everywhere, all the time, and it's just one version of how we can live our lives, and I think it's not the only. And I think that”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“important is this referendum for Icelanders?”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“important to understand that these are scientific hypotheses of specific individuals within the AI research”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “important”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
important that Freud understood uh that the mind is first and foremost something subjective uh that means that he was
Hear it in context: “important”
249,241 clipsThe English word “important” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ɪmˈpɔːr.tənt (phonetic respelling: im-POR-tənt). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (im · POR · tənt), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (POR). Grammatically, “important” functions as a adjective. SayItVid indexes 249,241 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “important” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USClip #1 · @12:56
“essence of the mental so it's really important that Freud understood uh that the mind is first and foremost something subjective uh that means that he was the mind is first and foremost something”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @10:56
“in 1979. I think that's probably important context we missed missed, which is the US got involved in the Shah and how he governed Iran. which is the US got involved in the Shah”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @5:37
“imagery and a series of numbers. A very important academic study published in the 1960s, a book called Hamlet's Mill by Giorgio de Santillana, Professor of the 1960s, a book called Hamlet's Mill”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @55:09
“that I want people to feel like they have a choice, and that's the important thing. And I think all we see is monogamy everywhere, all the time, and it's just one version of how we can live our lives, and I think it's not the only. And I think that one version of how we can live our lives, and I think it's not the only. And I think that”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @6:44
“Brost University in Iceland. Erica, how important is this referendum for Icelanders? Is restarting accession talks with the EU a topic they feel Icelanders? Is restarting accession”
Definition & Meaning: “important”
- Having relevant and crucial value; having import.
- Pompous; self-important.
Example Sentences (3)
- “We thought it important for there to be a fire escape at the back of every building.”
- “"[…] It is a match that must give universal satisfaction. In short, it is a kind of thing that"—lowering his voice to an important whisper—"will be exceedingly welcome to all parties." Recollecting himself, however, he added, "That is, I mean to say—your friends are all truly anxious to see you well settled; Fanny particularly […]"”
- “important that Freud understood uh that the mind is first and foremost something subjective uh that means that he was”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “important”
- Pronunciation:
- im-POR-tənt
- Syllables:
- im · POR · tənt
- Written Hyphenation:
- im · por · tant
- Primary stress:
- POR
- IPA:
- ɪmˈpɔːr.tənt
- Hear it in context
- important
Synonyms: “important”
Hear words related in meaning to “important” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “important”
-ɔrtəntWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"important" (⁄ɪmˈpɔːr.tənt⁄) 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, "important" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about important
How do you pronounce “important”?
“important” is pronounced ⁄ɪmˈpɔːr.tənt⁄ (im-POR-tənt). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “important”?
“important” has 3 syllables: im · POR · tənt.
Where is the stress in “important”?
The primary stress in “important” is on “POR”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “important” mean?
Having relevant and crucial value; having import.
How can I hear “important” used in real sentences?
This page has 249241 real-world video examples of “important” 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 “important”?
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⁄).