How do you pronounce "retention"?

In American English: /riːˈtɛnʃən/ (ree-TEHNSH-uhn). In British English: /ɹɪtˈɛnʃən/ (rit-EHNSH-uhn). In Canadian English: /riːˈtɛnʃən/ (ree-TEHNSH-uhn). In Australian English: /ɹɪtˈɛnʃən/ (rit-EHNSH-uhn).

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

Yes. In American English it's pronounced /riːˈtɛnʃən/ (ree-TEHNSH-uhn), while in British English it's /ɹɪtˈɛnʃən/ (rit-EHNSH-uhn).

How to Pronounce "retention"

🗣️pronounce.how

retention

regional

/riːˈtɛnʃən/

ree-TEHNSH-uhn

Syllable Breakdown

riːre·tɛnʃten·əntion

Source

90%confidence📘 CMU Pronouncing Dictionary v0.7b

All Variants

Browse by Letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Edit on GitHub Report an issue

Last updated: 2026-02-14