How to pronounce "persister" in English
per·si·ster
Hear native speakers say persister in context across real video clips
as maybe an explanation for antibiotic persistence, this idea that cells can switch into these slow-growing persister states in which they're resistant to antibiotics and other stresses. persister states in which they're
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “persister”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
per
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
si
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
ster
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Keep the vowel length balanced, placing subtle emphasis on the root morpheme according to standard conversational rhythm.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America.
How Native Speakers Say It: In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "persister" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "persister is" sounds like "persister-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "persister" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“this idea that cells can switch into these slow-growing persister states in which they're resistant to antibiotics and other stresses.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“But the relevant thing is, for example, in the persister case, it might be that the rate of persister formation”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“But then there's also arguments that there are somehow more specific persister-type states against particular assaults or particular antibiotics.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“So that's the classic way that you distinguish between genetic resistance and this persister-based or phenotypic resistance.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“But more recently there's this question of the persister cells, or the persistence phenotype.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“So a very small sub-population of the cells are in this so-called persister state.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
Practice Speaking “persister”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
this idea that cells can switch into these slow-growing persister states in which they're resistant to antibiotics and other stresses.
Hear it in context: “persister”
11 clipsThe English word “persister”. Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (per · si · ster). Grammatically, “persister” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 11 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “persister” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from MIT OpenCourseWare.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #1 · @2:43
“as maybe an explanation for antibiotic persistence, this idea that cells can switch into these slow-growing persister states in which they're resistant to antibiotics and other stresses. persister states in which they're”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #2 · @61:38
“can write down for either seed germination or this or that. But the relevant thing is, for example, in the persister case, it might be that the rate of persister formation it might be that the rate of persister formation”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #3 · @63:47
“then you're going to be resistant to many things. But then there's also arguments that there are somehow more specific persister-type states against particular assaults or particular antibiotics. more specific persister-type states”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #4 · @62:58
“which is being sensitive to the antibiotic. So that's the classic way that you distinguish between genetic resistance and this persister-based or phenotypic resistance. between genetic resistance and this persister-based or”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #5 · @49:37
“the classic example is in the context of seed germination. But more recently there's this question of the persister cells, or the persistence phenotype. of the persister cells, or the persistence phenotype.”
Definition & Meaning: “persister”
- Something that persists
- Any organism that survives a period of extreme conditions, such as winter or is tolerant of normal antibiotics
Example Sentences (2)
- “this idea that cells can switch into these slow-growing persister states in which they're resistant to antibiotics and other stresses.”
- “But the relevant thing is, for example, in the persister case, it might be that the rate of persister formation”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “persister”
- Syllables:
- per · si · ster
- Hear it in context
- persister
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"persister" 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, "persister" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about persister
How many syllables are in “persister”?
“persister” has 3 syllables: per · si · ster.
What does “persister” mean?
Something that persists
How can I hear “persister” used in real sentences?
This page has 11 real-world video examples of “persister” 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 “persister”?
Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America. In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].