How To Pronounce Subordinate

The stress in subordinate moves depending on how the word is used.

Adjective. It is /səˈbɔː.dɪ.nət/ or /səˈbɔː.dɪ.nɪt/ in British English and /səˈbɔːr.də.nət/ in American English with the main stress on the second syllable, as in “a subordinate role”.

Verb. It is /səˈbɔː.dɪ.neɪt/ in British English and /səˈbɔːr.də.neɪt/ in American English with the main stress on the second syllable, as in “to subordinate”.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.