20 business and professional words to pronounce
Practice the words that come up in meetings and presentations.
Prepare a phrase you actually use
Select a word from a meeting agenda, presentation, or document. Watch its APG example and then use it in a short phrase of your own. Practicing “annual revenue” or “a consensus on timing” gives you a manageable step between an isolated word and a complete presentation.
Notice plurals and accepted alternatives
Compare analysis with analyses: the stress stays in a similar place, but the final vowel and consonant change. Data, finance, and niche have more than one dictionary pronunciation. The aim is clear, consistent speech; a listed alternative is not automatically a mistake.
Include specialist vocabulary
Amicus curiae, fiduciary, amortization, and arbitrage need attention to both sound and context. Read their sourced definitions on the individual pages before practicing. These are pronunciation resources; the short practice phrases are not explanations of financial or legal rules.
Your listening list
20 wordsChoose a word to hear it in an APG video.
Amicus Curiae
/ˈæm.ɪ.kəs ˈkjʊɹ(.i)ˌaɪ/ · source accent unspecified
Work on the two words separately.
Watch Amicus Curiae →
Test these pronunciations
Try 4 questions from this guide. Each answer includes an APG video, dictionary reference, and explanation.
Try this guide’s quiz →More words in this topic
102 wordsKeep listening with an APG video and a pronunciation tip for each word.
- accommodate
Stress “com,” the second syllable.
- accountant
Give “coun” the main beat, using the vowel in “cow.”
- accreditation
uh-kred-ih-TAY-shun: make TAY the strongest beat.
- accrual
Stress “cru,” using a long “oo.”
- accrue
Stress the second syllable and keep “kr” together.
- addressee
ad-reh-SEE: the main stress falls at the end.
- administrative
ad-MIN-uh-stray-tiv: keep MIN strongest.
- administrator
ad-MIN-ih-stray-ter: give MIN the main beat.
- adverse
ad-VURS: stress the second syllable.
- affiliate
As a noun, uh-FIL-ee-uht ends with a light vowel.
- affirmation
af-er-MAY-shun: place the main beat on MAY.
- aggregate
The noun and adjective have a light ending.
- allocation
Give “ca” the main beat, using the vowel in “day.”
- amendment
Give “mend” the strongest beat.
- annuity
Stress NOO.
- anonymity
Stress “nim,” the third syllable.
- anonymous
The second syllable carries the strongest beat.
- antitrust
an-ty-TRUST: the last part takes the main stress.
- appendices
uh-PEN-dih-seez: end with a voiced z.
- appraisal
Give “prai” the strongest beat.
- assets
Stress “as” and keep the final “ts” together.
- assurance
Stress the middle syllable and listen for “sh.”
- attributable
uh-TRIB-yuh-tuh-buhl: the main beat is TRIB.
- auditor
AW-dih-ter: give the first syllable the main stress.
- austerity
aw-STAIR-ih-tee: stress STAIR.
- authorization
aw-ther-uh-ZAY-shun: ZAY carries the main beat.
- autonomous
Give the second syllable the main beat.
- bankruptcy
Stress “bank” and listen for the ending cluster.
- bilateral
Stress “lat” after the opening “bye.”
- bondholder
BOND-hohl-der: keep the d before h audible.
- borrower
BAR-oh-er: let the oh move into the final er.
- brokerage
BROH-kuh-rij: the final g sounds like j.
- cancellation
kan-suh-LAY-shun: put the main beat on LAY.
- candidate
Stress CAN.
- capitalism
Keep the primary stress on “cap.”
- capitalization
kap-ih-tuh-lih-ZAY-shun: stress ZAY.
- category
Keep the primary stress on “cat.”
- commodity
Put the strongest beat on “mod.”
- compliance
Stress “ply,” using the vowel in “my.”
- comptroller
kum-TROH-ler: leave out the p sound.
- concession
kun-SESH-un: the double s sounds like sh.
- confidential
Stress “den” and finish with a light “shul.”
- consolidation
kun-sol-ih-DAY-shun: DAY is the strongest syllable.
- consortium
kun-SOR-shum: finish with sh followed by a light um.
- constituent
Stress “stit” and listen for “ch” before “oo.”
- consultancy
kun-SUL-tun-see: the main stress falls on SUL.
- consultation
kon-sul-TAY-shun: stress the long a in TAY.
- contingent
Stress “tin” and give “g” a soft sound.
- creditor
Stress CRED.
- debenture
Give “ben” the strongest beat.
- deductible
Give “duct” the strongest beat.
- deficit
Stress “def” and give “c” an “s” sound.
- delegation
Stress “ga,” using the vowel in “day.”
- depreciation
Stress the fourth syllable, “a,” as in “day.”
- derivative
Stress “riv,” the second syllable.
- disclosure
Stress “clo” and finish with “zh.”
- discretion
Give “cre” the main beat and keep “skr” connected.
- distribution
Give “bu” the strongest beat, with a “byoo” sound.
- dividend
Give “div” the primary stress.
- eligible
Stress EL.
- enhancement
Stress “hance” and keep the “h” audible.
- equity
Stress “eq” and keep the “kw” sound.
- executive
Stress the second syllable and listen for “gz.”
- fiscal
Stress “fis,” with the short “i” of “sit.”
- franchise
Stress “fran” and end with a voiced “z.”
- gross
Use the vowel in “go.”
- inflation
Stress “fla,” using the vowel in “day.”
- initiative
Give the second syllable the main beat.
- invoice
Keep the strongest beat on “in.”
- legitimate
As an adjective, end with a light mit.
- liquidity
Stress KWID.
- managerial
Give the third syllable the strongest beat.
- mandate
Keep the primary stress on “man.”
- maturity
Use a “ch” sound in the stressed syllable.
- memorandum
Stress “ran,” the third syllable.
- monetary
Put the primary stress on “mon.”
- monopoly
Give “nop” the strongest beat.
- nominal
Give “nom” the strongest beat.
- payable
Start with a strong “pay.”
- performance
Give “for” the strongest beat.
- premium
Stress “pre” and keep three vowel beats.
- procedure
Stress SEE.
- productivity
Stress TIV.
- proprietary
Give “pri” the main beat, using the vowel in “pry.”
- prospectus
Give “spec” the main beat.
- purchase
Stress “pur” and listen for the “ch” of “chair.”
- receivable
Stress “ceiv,” which sounds like “seev.”
- refinance
ree-fuh-NANS: the main beat comes at the end.
- renewable
Stress “new,” using a long “oo.”
- residual
Stress the second syllable and listen for “j.”
- signature
Stress “sig” and keep the “g” audible.
- subsidiary
Stress “sid,” the second syllable.
- surplus
Keep the main beat on “sur.”
- sustainable
Give “tain” the strongest beat.
- tangible
Stress “tan” and give “g” a soft “j” sound.
- tariff
Keep the strongest beat on the first syllable.
- transaction
Stress “ac” and listen for a voiced “z.”
- transparency
Stress “par,” the second syllable.
- viable
Start with a strong “vie,” like the vowel in “my.”
- volatile
End with a light “tul.”
- volatility
Shift the main stress to “til,” the third syllable.
- warranty
Give “war” the strongest beat.
Sources & classroom use
Each listening tip follows the IPA shown beside its word. Other dictionary pronunciations appear on the word page; individual speakers may vary.
Practice phrases were written for these exercises; quoted book passages remain in the separate, sourced book sections. These guides and practice notes are available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Credit American Pronunciation Guide and retain the linked dictionary attributions. Videos and other reference material keep their own terms.
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