How to pronounce defense in American English

IPA /dəˈfɛns/ Syllables 2 · duh·fehns Stress 2nd syllable

duh·FEHNS

Start here

Americans pronounce defense as duh-FEHNS (/dəˈfɛns/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the second syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

Now you try.

Record yourself saying "defense" and play it back. The mic stays on your device — nothing's uploaded.

Ready when you are

Tap the mic to start

Preview your accent profile

Get your accent profile and 5-axes assessment.

Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the second syllable, not the others. Stretch FEHNS — keep everything else short and quick.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

Unlock the full report in the app

Why it sounds different

Why "defense" sounds like duh·FEHNS.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, what turns word-by-word reading into actual conversation. It comes out as duh·FEHNS.

In real conversation

Hear "defense" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"He gave a compelling opening statement outlining his defense."

hee GAYV uh kuhm·PEH·luhng OH·puh·nuhng STAYT·muhnt OWT·lahy·nuhng hihz duh·FEHNS

"He is a black belt in karate and teaches self-defense."

hee ihz uh BLAK BEHLT ihn kuh·RAH·dee and TEE·chuhz SEHLF duh·FEHNS

"She plays defense and stops the opposing team from scoring."

shee PLAYZ DEE·fehns and STAHPS dhee uh·POH·zuhng TEEM fruhm SKOR·uhng

"The alliance strengthened its commitment to collective defense."

dhee uh·LAHY·uhns STREHNG·thuhnd ihts kuh·MIHT·muhnt tuh kuh·LEHK·tuhv duh·FEHNS

"The defense attorney gathered witnesses to support her client."

dhuh duh·FEHNS uh·TUR·nee GA·dherd WIHT·nuh·suhz tuh suh·PORT her KLAHY·uhnt

"The defense attorney objected to the line of questioning."

dhuh duh·FEHNS uh·TUR·nee uhb·JEHK·tuhd tuh dhuh LAHYN uhv KWEHS·chuh·nuhng

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the second syllable, not the others. Stretch FEHNS — keep everything else short and quick.

DUH·fehns→duh·FEHNS

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

DUH·FEHNS→duh·FEHNS

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "defense" stressed in American English?

Stress falls on the second syllable — say "FEHNS" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "duh-FEHNS" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.

Why does the first syllable in "defense" reduce to "uh"?

Unstressed syllables in American English collapse toward a schwa — a lazy, neutral "uh" sound. The full vowel is what textbooks teach, but in actual American speech every unstressed vowel reduces. The respell "duh-FEHNS" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

Is the American pronunciation of "defense" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "duh-FEHNS" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

Now you try.

Get your accent profile and 5-axes assessment.

Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Why "defense" sounds like duh·FEHNS.

Hear "defense" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

Stop reading about "defense". Start saying it.