Proper Pronunciation Guide

serendipitous

[ˏsɛ͜ɚən dɪ pə təs]

Tips:

  • Pronounce this word as five syllables, giving a minor stress to the first syllable and the major stress to the third syllable.
  • Pronounce the vowel in the first syllable—spelled “er”—as /ɛ͜ɚ/—like the word “air.”
  • Note the three weak schwa vowels
    /ə/ in the second, fourth, and fifth unstressed syllables.

Practice Sentence:

Our serendipitous meeting in an ice cream parlor many years ago led to the formation of a successful company.

Definition:

  • (adjective) Discoveriing something by accident that then leads to good fortune.

Notes:

There is an ice cream parlor on East 60th Street in New York City called Serendipity, which is patronized by famous (and also not-so-famous) people.
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