How to pronounce "person" in English
ˈpɜːrsən
PUR·sən
Primary stress: PUR
Hear native speakers say person in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “person”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
PUR
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
sən
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("PUR"). 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 "person" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "person is" sounds like "person-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "person" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“person when a crowd is watching, they're drowning, to be the one that dives in, tries to help.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“person. I mean, how can you call that a democracy? I I I think repeating those slogans is going to”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“person who said that democracy is the worst system of government except for all the others.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“person's identity. So, like let's say you said that, they nodded, and then maybe a few minutes later”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“person, but it is a global average and it hides a lot of extremes.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“person. It's because I played the game better. If I lose the game, same thing.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “person”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
person when a crowd is watching, they're drowning, to be the one that dives in, tries to help.
Hear it in context: “person”
150,847 clipsThe English word “person” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈpɜːrsən (phonetic respelling: PUR-sən). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (PUR · sən), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (PUR). Grammatically, “person” functions as a noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 150,847 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “person” 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 · @37:15
“actually simulating, imagining yourself standing up and saving the person when a crowd is watching, they're drowning, to be the one that dives in, tries to help. You mentioned to help. You mentioned”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @25:53
“person got arrested. Not a single person. I mean, how can you call that a democracy? I I I think repeating those slogans is going to democracy? I I I think repeating those”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @20:03
“democracy better? Churchill was the person who said that democracy is the worst system of government except for all the others. So it's a multi-reasons worst system of government except for”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @24:00
“head, you're hacking your way into that person's identity. So, like let's say you said that, they nodded, and then maybe a few minutes later So, like let's say you said that, they”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @13:45
“basically imperceptible to the average person, but it is a global average and it hides a lot of extremes. It is also it hides a lot of extremes. It is also”
Definition & Meaning: “person”
- An individual who has been granted personhood; usually a human being.
- To represent as a person; to personify; to impersonate.
- To man, to supply with staff or crew.
Example Sentences (3)
- “1784, William Jones, The Description and Use of a New Portable Orrery, &c., PREFACE THE favourable reception the Orrery has met with from Perſons of the firſt diſtinction, and from Gentlemen and Ladies in general, has induced me to add to it ſeveral new improvements in order to give it a degree of Perfection; and diſtinguiſh it from others; which by Piracy, or Imitation, may be introduced to the Public.”
- “[…]his firſt appearance vpon the Stage, in his new perſon of a Sycophant or Iugler[…]”
- “person when a crowd is watching, they're drowning, to be the one that dives in, tries to help. You mentioned”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “person”
- Pronunciation:
- PUR-sən
- Syllables:
- PUR · sən
- Written Hyphenation:
- per · son
- Primary stress:
- PUR
- IPA:
- ˈpɜːrsən
- Hear it in context
- person
Words that Rhyme with “person”
-ɜrsənWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"person" (⁄ˈpɜːrsən⁄) 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, "person" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about person
How do you pronounce “person”?
“person” is pronounced ⁄ˈpɜːrsən⁄ (PUR-sən). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “person”?
“person” has 2 syllables: PUR · sən.
Where is the stress in “person”?
The primary stress in “person” is on “PUR”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “person” mean?
An individual who has been granted personhood; usually a human being.
How can I hear “person” used in real sentences?
This page has 150847 real-world video examples of “person” 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 “person”?
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⁄).