How do you pronounce "ancient"?

In American English: /ˈeɪntʃənt/ (AYNCH-uhnt). In British English: /ˈeɪnʃənt/ (AYNSH-uhnt). In Canadian English: /ˈeɪntʃənt/ (AYNCH-uhnt). In Australian English: /ˈeɪnʃənt/ (AYNSH-uhnt).

Is "ancient" pronounced differently in American and British English?

Yes. In American English it's pronounced /ˈeɪntʃənt/ (AYNCH-uhnt), while in British English it's /ˈeɪnʃənt/ (AYNSH-uhnt).

🗣️pronounce.how

ancient

regional

/ˈeɪntʃənt/

AYNCH-uhnt

Syllable Breakdown

eɪntʃan·əntcient

Source

90%confidence📘 CMU Pronouncing Dictionary v0.7b

All Variants

Edit on GitHub 🐛 Report an issue

Last updated: 2026-02-12