Proper Pronunciation Guide

existential

[ɛk̚ sə stɛn ʃḷ]

Tips:

Pronounce the initial letter “e” as the short vowel
/ɛ/—like the vowel in the word “bed.”
Pronounce the letter “x” as the consonant cluster /ks/. However, stop-but-do-not-explode the consonant “k” /k̚/ and release the air on the consonant sound
/s/, which begins the second syllable.
Pronounce the first letter “i” as the weak schwa vowel
/ə/.
Pronounce the second letter “e”—in the third syllable—also as the short vowel
/ɛ/ and stress it.
Pronounce the letters “ti” as
/ʃ/.
Sustain the final syllabic “l”
/ḷ/ slightly because it substitutes for a vowel in forming the final unstressed syllable (the letter “a” is not pronounced).

Practice Sentence:

Jason was confronted with a strong existential question: how would he regard his own imminent death?

Definition:

(adjective) Of or pertaining to existence or to the twentieth century philosophy of existentialism, which posits that all we know is that we exist and therefore must take responsibility for all of our choices and actions.