Are “confidant” and “confident” homophones?difference between /ts/ and /t/The difference between /ɪ/, /i/ , and /ə/Pronunciation of the diphthongs /aʊ/ as in “owl” and /aɪ/ as in “why”Exchanging TH (voiced) sound with D sound?how to link the /s/ and /j/ sound (IPA)?Learning correct pronunciation“Ball” and “bowl” do they really sound the same?Is there a difference between pronouncing [short u] and [long a] sounds?Why are double consonant ‘r’ sounds transcribed as a single phonetic soundAnyone succeeded to teach/recognize the difference in L and R listening wise?
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Are “confidant” and “confident” homophones?
difference between /ts/ and /t/The difference between /ɪ/, /i/ , and /ə/Pronunciation of the diphthongs /aʊ/ as in “owl” and /aɪ/ as in “why”Exchanging TH (voiced) sound with D sound?how to link the /s/ and /j/ sound (IPA)?Learning correct pronunciation“Ball” and “bowl” do they really sound the same?Is there a difference between pronouncing [short u] and [long a] sounds?Why are double consonant ‘r’ sounds transcribed as a single phonetic soundAnyone succeeded to teach/recognize the difference in L and R listening wise?
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Both sound like /-dənt/ to me.
Etymology:
confidant comes to English from the French word confident, and when the word first entered our language it was often spelled that way, rather than as confidant.
So they were actually the same word. Do we really need to tell a difference between them?
pronunciation etymology
asked Jul 2 at 19:14
CykerCyker
4887 silver badges15 bronze badges
add a comment |
Both sound like /-dənt/ to me.
Etymology:
confidant comes to English from the French word confident, and when the word first entered our language it was often spelled that way, rather than as confidant.
So they were actually the same word. Do we really need to tell a difference between them?
pronunciation etymology
asked Jul 2 at 19:14
CykerCyker
4887 silver badges15 bronze badges
1
For what it's worth you can for pronunciation always go to OED's website where they have a pronunciation. If you have central auditory processing disorder like I do it might sometimes be difficult especially when there is a subtle difference but that of course varies. I personally hear a slight difference so if I can I imagine most others can too. lexico.com/en/definition/confident and lexico.com/en/definition/confidant Oh and they also have the IPA if you are familiar enough with it. Of course if you're after American pronunciation maybe not the best place but anyway.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:33
Looking at the IPA is always the best way to tell if two words are pronounced differently. Even if you do not know the IPA very well you will at least see that there is a difference and where in the word. James K's answer gives the IPA for both words.
– Eric Nolan
Jul 4 at 20:43
add a comment |
Both sound like /-dənt/ to me.
Etymology:
confidant comes to English from the French word confident, and when the word first entered our language it was often spelled that way, rather than as confidant.
So they were actually the same word. Do we really need to tell a difference between them?
pronunciation etymology
asked Jul 2 at 19:14
CykerCyker
4887 silver badges15 bronze badges
Both sound like /-dənt/ to me.
Etymology:
confidant comes to English from the French word confident, and when the word first entered our language it was often spelled that way, rather than as confidant.
So they were actually the same word. Do we really need to tell a difference between them?
pronunciation etymology
pronunciation etymology
asked Jul 2 at 19:14
CykerCyker
4887 silver badges15 bronze badges
asked Jul 2 at 19:14
CykerCyker
4887 silver badges15 bronze badges
asked Jul 2 at 19:14
CykerCyker
4887 silver badges15 bronze badges
asked Jul 2 at 19:14
CykerCyker
4887 silver badges15 bronze badges
asked Jul 2 at 19:14
CykerCyker
4887 silver badges15 bronze badges
4887 silver badges15 bronze badges
1
For what it's worth you can for pronunciation always go to OED's website where they have a pronunciation. If you have central auditory processing disorder like I do it might sometimes be difficult especially when there is a subtle difference but that of course varies. I personally hear a slight difference so if I can I imagine most others can too. lexico.com/en/definition/confident and lexico.com/en/definition/confidant Oh and they also have the IPA if you are familiar enough with it. Of course if you're after American pronunciation maybe not the best place but anyway.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:33
Looking at the IPA is always the best way to tell if two words are pronounced differently. Even if you do not know the IPA very well you will at least see that there is a difference and where in the word. James K's answer gives the IPA for both words.
– Eric Nolan
Jul 4 at 20:43
add a comment |
1
For what it's worth you can for pronunciation always go to OED's website where they have a pronunciation. If you have central auditory processing disorder like I do it might sometimes be difficult especially when there is a subtle difference but that of course varies. I personally hear a slight difference so if I can I imagine most others can too. lexico.com/en/definition/confident and lexico.com/en/definition/confidant Oh and they also have the IPA if you are familiar enough with it. Of course if you're after American pronunciation maybe not the best place but anyway.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:33
Looking at the IPA is always the best way to tell if two words are pronounced differently. Even if you do not know the IPA very well you will at least see that there is a difference and where in the word. James K's answer gives the IPA for both words.
– Eric Nolan
Jul 4 at 20:43
1
1
For what it's worth you can for pronunciation always go to OED's website where they have a pronunciation. If you have central auditory processing disorder like I do it might sometimes be difficult especially when there is a subtle difference but that of course varies. I personally hear a slight difference so if I can I imagine most others can too. lexico.com/en/definition/confident and lexico.com/en/definition/confidant Oh and they also have the IPA if you are familiar enough with it. Of course if you're after American pronunciation maybe not the best place but anyway.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:33
For what it's worth you can for pronunciation always go to OED's website where they have a pronunciation. If you have central auditory processing disorder like I do it might sometimes be difficult especially when there is a subtle difference but that of course varies. I personally hear a slight difference so if I can I imagine most others can too. lexico.com/en/definition/confident and lexico.com/en/definition/confidant Oh and they also have the IPA if you are familiar enough with it. Of course if you're after American pronunciation maybe not the best place but anyway.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:33
Looking at the IPA is always the best way to tell if two words are pronounced differently. Even if you do not know the IPA very well you will at least see that there is a difference and where in the word. James K's answer gives the IPA for both words.
– Eric Nolan
Jul 4 at 20:43
Looking at the IPA is always the best way to tell if two words are pronounced differently. Even if you do not know the IPA very well you will at least see that there is a difference and where in the word. James K's answer gives the IPA for both words.
– Eric Nolan
Jul 4 at 20:43
add a comment |
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
I pronounce the two words differently. I happen to be a native speaker of American English whose father studied French extensively and whose mother taught French -- but I do not know French myself.
I pronounce "confident" as "CONfidint", much like jimbobmcgee's transcription.
I pronounce the last syllable of "confidant" the way I pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario", or the way some people pronounce "aunt". In other words, it rhymes with "want".
answered Jul 2 at 19:48
JasperJasper
21.7k4 gold badges45 silver badges79 bronze badges
12
I agree, and in my BrE accent the stress in "confidant" leans to the end.
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:53
2
Yes, I put some stress on the first and last syllables of "confidant", but mostly on just the first syllable of "confident".
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:56
4
I'm British, and maybe it's because I started French at school aged 10, but I would say confidant in the French way (the final 'a' vowel like the 'o' in 'Ontario', but not pronouncing the -nt for a male person and, if the person were female, writing confidante and saying the -nte ending. I am aware that some of my UK compatriots don't go this far. Tant pis
– Michael Harvey
Jul 2 at 20:35
1
How do you pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario"? I'm English, and I pronounce it with a short "o", like in "hot: however I often hear Americans pronounce "hot" with a long o, like "haaht". You say you're American, but there are many different American accents, so we can not presume.
– Chris Melville
Jul 3 at 10:44
3
@ChrisMelville A long o is like "hole".
– Barmar
Jul 3 at 14:16
|
show 5 more comments
The vowel in the "confidant" is more heavily pronounced
/ˈkɒnfɪdant,ˌkɒnfɪˈdant,ˌkɒnfɪˈdɑːnt/
There are various pronunciations that are possible, the second syllable is often stressed, but even if not it is a clear vowel /a/
In confident the last vowel is reduced to a schwa, and never stressed. In fact it is so reduced that it is hardly pronounced at all.
/ˈkɒnfɪd(ə)nt/
But the words are distinguished by syntax. "Confidant" is a noun (and rather rare) but "confident" is a common adjective.
answered Jul 2 at 21:14
James KJames K
48.9k1 gold badge48 silver badges121 bronze badges
1
In the word "confident" I pronounce both vowels as a schwa. But in "confidant" I pronounce the "i" as a long "ee" sound, and the "a" as in the answer of @Jasper. I'm an American English speaker, fwiw.
– Lee Mosher
Jul 3 at 14:12
add a comment |
I would say that, while they do sound similar enough in casual usage, they are definitely not the same word.
"Confident" is an adjective that describes someone having the feeling of confidence (i.e. a self-belief); while "a confidant" is a noun that describes a person to whom you might tell a secret (i.e. it is based on the verb to confide).
When spoken aloud, unless emphasised, both will sound like the contracted confidn't (sorry, I haven't studied the pronunciation symbols). Many people—especially those who are aware or observant of its French roots—may increase the emphasis on the -ant part of confidant (and soften the -t), in recognition of those roots.
Now I have looked up an explicit definition of homophone, I would say that the two words do qualify as homophones, in that they are both words that pronounced the same but differ in meaning, derivation or spelling)
answered Jul 2 at 19:23
jimbobmcgeejimbobmcgee
5856 bronze badges
3
I can honestly say that if you pronounce confidant with a schwa in the final syllable, I won't understand you. These two words may be homophones in your dialect, but I suspect you may be in a minority in that regard.
– Dawood ibn Kareem
Jul 4 at 1:26
2
In matters of pronunciation it is useful to say where you live and where you learned English. For example, I'm a lifelong speaker of American English and do not recall ever hearing confidant pronounced in any way that could be mistaken for confident, but regional pronunciations of the same word often differ and it could well be that you are from a region where the two words are pronounced the same. My curiosity is piqued.
– David K
Jul 4 at 2:40
I'm a native UK English speaker (and certainly not an academic), and I've heard it (and would understand it) both ways. For me, the words are so different in meaning that the context of the sentence would make it obvious -- even "my confident confidant" is going to make sense. I've tried to describe that the noun can be emphasised in deference to its French roots. Where I come from, to overtly Frenchify it could sound theatrical or elitist and may open the speaker up for some mild ridicule, but that may say more about the company I keep!
– jimbobmcgee
Jul 4 at 12:09
add a comment |
This is a job for Youglish! Or it would be if the word "confident" wasn't so often mistyped as "confidant"...
So I can see why they'd be mistaken for homophones, but they are slightly different in pronunciation. The easiest way to identify the typos on Youglish is to understand that confident is an adjective and the related noun is "confidence". Confidant on the other hand, is a noun.
I can also say with some confidence (and thanks to Google's ngrams) that "confident" is a lot more common than "confidant".
My first thought when you mentioned "confidant" was the song "Thank you for being a friend", which includes the word in the first verse. When I have to say the word, that is the way I think of it (i.e. very little "t" sound in it, closer to French pronunciation).
answered Jul 3 at 14:05
PamPam
5252 silver badges7 bronze badges
I know I really shouldn't but I just wanted to say that I joined this community simply so I could say how much I appreciate the punning. Well played. But I do wonder: is the word 'confident' really mistyped as 'confidant'? My eyes zoom in on errors (and things I’m looking for even things I don't know exactly what I’m looking for - but that's another story entirely) and I don't believe I have ever seen that error. But now I’m not so confident... Well I am but I do find it interesting given that I see lots of typos but not that one. I can see how it would happen though: an off by one, really.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:28
@Pryftan, thanks! Frankly, I’m not sure if it’s "mistyped" or if youglish uses some speech-to-text software that picks things up incorrectly in some accents, but the first 3 examples it gave me for "confidant" were definitely "confident" going by the context.
– Pam
Jul 4 at 7:35
add a comment |
Not homophones.
ConfidAnt sounds French with a wider A, like pendant, vacant, but with accent on A
Confident sounds normal , like student, president.
answered Jul 3 at 11:35
ellysislandellysisland
271 bronze badge
2
To my BrEng ears, pedant & vacant match student & president, no hint of a 'French A', all are a simple schwa ə.
– Tetsujin
Jul 4 at 7:38
Whereas to my Br English ears, there is a subtle difference in the examples. As with all accents, YMMV.
– Wenlocke
Jul 4 at 10:57
add a comment |
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5 Answers
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active
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5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
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oldest
votes
I pronounce the two words differently. I happen to be a native speaker of American English whose father studied French extensively and whose mother taught French -- but I do not know French myself.
I pronounce "confident" as "CONfidint", much like jimbobmcgee's transcription.
I pronounce the last syllable of "confidant" the way I pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario", or the way some people pronounce "aunt". In other words, it rhymes with "want".
answered Jul 2 at 19:48
JasperJasper
21.7k4 gold badges45 silver badges79 bronze badges
12
I agree, and in my BrE accent the stress in "confidant" leans to the end.
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:53
2
Yes, I put some stress on the first and last syllables of "confidant", but mostly on just the first syllable of "confident".
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:56
4
I'm British, and maybe it's because I started French at school aged 10, but I would say confidant in the French way (the final 'a' vowel like the 'o' in 'Ontario', but not pronouncing the -nt for a male person and, if the person were female, writing confidante and saying the -nte ending. I am aware that some of my UK compatriots don't go this far. Tant pis
– Michael Harvey
Jul 2 at 20:35
1
How do you pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario"? I'm English, and I pronounce it with a short "o", like in "hot: however I often hear Americans pronounce "hot" with a long o, like "haaht". You say you're American, but there are many different American accents, so we can not presume.
– Chris Melville
Jul 3 at 10:44
3
@ChrisMelville A long o is like "hole".
– Barmar
Jul 3 at 14:16
|
show 5 more comments
I pronounce the two words differently. I happen to be a native speaker of American English whose father studied French extensively and whose mother taught French -- but I do not know French myself.
I pronounce "confident" as "CONfidint", much like jimbobmcgee's transcription.
I pronounce the last syllable of "confidant" the way I pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario", or the way some people pronounce "aunt". In other words, it rhymes with "want".
answered Jul 2 at 19:48
JasperJasper
21.7k4 gold badges45 silver badges79 bronze badges
12
I agree, and in my BrE accent the stress in "confidant" leans to the end.
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:53
2
Yes, I put some stress on the first and last syllables of "confidant", but mostly on just the first syllable of "confident".
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:56
4
I'm British, and maybe it's because I started French at school aged 10, but I would say confidant in the French way (the final 'a' vowel like the 'o' in 'Ontario', but not pronouncing the -nt for a male person and, if the person were female, writing confidante and saying the -nte ending. I am aware that some of my UK compatriots don't go this far. Tant pis
– Michael Harvey
Jul 2 at 20:35
1
How do you pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario"? I'm English, and I pronounce it with a short "o", like in "hot: however I often hear Americans pronounce "hot" with a long o, like "haaht". You say you're American, but there are many different American accents, so we can not presume.
– Chris Melville
Jul 3 at 10:44
3
@ChrisMelville A long o is like "hole".
– Barmar
Jul 3 at 14:16
|
show 5 more comments
I pronounce the two words differently. I happen to be a native speaker of American English whose father studied French extensively and whose mother taught French -- but I do not know French myself.
I pronounce "confident" as "CONfidint", much like jimbobmcgee's transcription.
I pronounce the last syllable of "confidant" the way I pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario", or the way some people pronounce "aunt". In other words, it rhymes with "want".
answered Jul 2 at 19:48
JasperJasper
21.7k4 gold badges45 silver badges79 bronze badges
I pronounce the two words differently. I happen to be a native speaker of American English whose father studied French extensively and whose mother taught French -- but I do not know French myself.
I pronounce "confident" as "CONfidint", much like jimbobmcgee's transcription.
I pronounce the last syllable of "confidant" the way I pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario", or the way some people pronounce "aunt". In other words, it rhymes with "want".
answered Jul 2 at 19:48
JasperJasper
21.7k4 gold badges45 silver badges79 bronze badges
answered Jul 2 at 19:48
JasperJasper
21.7k4 gold badges45 silver badges79 bronze badges
answered Jul 2 at 19:48
JasperJasper
21.7k4 gold badges45 silver badges79 bronze badges
answered Jul 2 at 19:48
JasperJasper
21.7k4 gold badges45 silver badges79 bronze badges
21.7k4 gold badges45 silver badges79 bronze badges
12
I agree, and in my BrE accent the stress in "confidant" leans to the end.
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:53
2
Yes, I put some stress on the first and last syllables of "confidant", but mostly on just the first syllable of "confident".
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:56
4
I'm British, and maybe it's because I started French at school aged 10, but I would say confidant in the French way (the final 'a' vowel like the 'o' in 'Ontario', but not pronouncing the -nt for a male person and, if the person were female, writing confidante and saying the -nte ending. I am aware that some of my UK compatriots don't go this far. Tant pis
– Michael Harvey
Jul 2 at 20:35
1
How do you pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario"? I'm English, and I pronounce it with a short "o", like in "hot: however I often hear Americans pronounce "hot" with a long o, like "haaht". You say you're American, but there are many different American accents, so we can not presume.
– Chris Melville
Jul 3 at 10:44
3
@ChrisMelville A long o is like "hole".
– Barmar
Jul 3 at 14:16
|
show 5 more comments
12
I agree, and in my BrE accent the stress in "confidant" leans to the end.
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:53
2
Yes, I put some stress on the first and last syllables of "confidant", but mostly on just the first syllable of "confident".
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:56
4
I'm British, and maybe it's because I started French at school aged 10, but I would say confidant in the French way (the final 'a' vowel like the 'o' in 'Ontario', but not pronouncing the -nt for a male person and, if the person were female, writing confidante and saying the -nte ending. I am aware that some of my UK compatriots don't go this far. Tant pis
– Michael Harvey
Jul 2 at 20:35
1
How do you pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario"? I'm English, and I pronounce it with a short "o", like in "hot: however I often hear Americans pronounce "hot" with a long o, like "haaht". You say you're American, but there are many different American accents, so we can not presume.
– Chris Melville
Jul 3 at 10:44
3
@ChrisMelville A long o is like "hole".
– Barmar
Jul 3 at 14:16
12
12
I agree, and in my BrE accent the stress in "confidant" leans to the end.
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:53
I agree, and in my BrE accent the stress in "confidant" leans to the end.
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:53
2
2
Yes, I put some stress on the first and last syllables of "confidant", but mostly on just the first syllable of "confident".
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:56
Yes, I put some stress on the first and last syllables of "confidant", but mostly on just the first syllable of "confident".
– Weather Vane
Jul 2 at 19:56
4
4
I'm British, and maybe it's because I started French at school aged 10, but I would say confidant in the French way (the final 'a' vowel like the 'o' in 'Ontario', but not pronouncing the -nt for a male person and, if the person were female, writing confidante and saying the -nte ending. I am aware that some of my UK compatriots don't go this far. Tant pis
– Michael Harvey
Jul 2 at 20:35
I'm British, and maybe it's because I started French at school aged 10, but I would say confidant in the French way (the final 'a' vowel like the 'o' in 'Ontario', but not pronouncing the -nt for a male person and, if the person were female, writing confidante and saying the -nte ending. I am aware that some of my UK compatriots don't go this far. Tant pis
– Michael Harvey
Jul 2 at 20:35
1
1
How do you pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario"? I'm English, and I pronounce it with a short "o", like in "hot: however I often hear Americans pronounce "hot" with a long o, like "haaht". You say you're American, but there are many different American accents, so we can not presume.
– Chris Melville
Jul 3 at 10:44
How do you pronounce the first syllable of "Ontario"? I'm English, and I pronounce it with a short "o", like in "hot: however I often hear Americans pronounce "hot" with a long o, like "haaht". You say you're American, but there are many different American accents, so we can not presume.
– Chris Melville
Jul 3 at 10:44
3
3
@ChrisMelville A long o is like "hole".
– Barmar
Jul 3 at 14:16
@ChrisMelville A long o is like "hole".
– Barmar
Jul 3 at 14:16
|
show 5 more comments
The vowel in the "confidant" is more heavily pronounced
/ˈkɒnfɪdant,ˌkɒnfɪˈdant,ˌkɒnfɪˈdɑːnt/
There are various pronunciations that are possible, the second syllable is often stressed, but even if not it is a clear vowel /a/
In confident the last vowel is reduced to a schwa, and never stressed. In fact it is so reduced that it is hardly pronounced at all.
/ˈkɒnfɪd(ə)nt/
But the words are distinguished by syntax. "Confidant" is a noun (and rather rare) but "confident" is a common adjective.
answered Jul 2 at 21:14
James KJames K
48.9k1 gold badge48 silver badges121 bronze badges
1
In the word "confident" I pronounce both vowels as a schwa. But in "confidant" I pronounce the "i" as a long "ee" sound, and the "a" as in the answer of @Jasper. I'm an American English speaker, fwiw.
– Lee Mosher
Jul 3 at 14:12
add a comment |
The vowel in the "confidant" is more heavily pronounced
/ˈkɒnfɪdant,ˌkɒnfɪˈdant,ˌkɒnfɪˈdɑːnt/
There are various pronunciations that are possible, the second syllable is often stressed, but even if not it is a clear vowel /a/
In confident the last vowel is reduced to a schwa, and never stressed. In fact it is so reduced that it is hardly pronounced at all.
/ˈkɒnfɪd(ə)nt/
But the words are distinguished by syntax. "Confidant" is a noun (and rather rare) but "confident" is a common adjective.
answered Jul 2 at 21:14
James KJames K
48.9k1 gold badge48 silver badges121 bronze badges
1
In the word "confident" I pronounce both vowels as a schwa. But in "confidant" I pronounce the "i" as a long "ee" sound, and the "a" as in the answer of @Jasper. I'm an American English speaker, fwiw.
– Lee Mosher
Jul 3 at 14:12
add a comment |
The vowel in the "confidant" is more heavily pronounced
/ˈkɒnfɪdant,ˌkɒnfɪˈdant,ˌkɒnfɪˈdɑːnt/
There are various pronunciations that are possible, the second syllable is often stressed, but even if not it is a clear vowel /a/
In confident the last vowel is reduced to a schwa, and never stressed. In fact it is so reduced that it is hardly pronounced at all.
/ˈkɒnfɪd(ə)nt/
But the words are distinguished by syntax. "Confidant" is a noun (and rather rare) but "confident" is a common adjective.
answered Jul 2 at 21:14
James KJames K
48.9k1 gold badge48 silver badges121 bronze badges
The vowel in the "confidant" is more heavily pronounced
/ˈkɒnfɪdant,ˌkɒnfɪˈdant,ˌkɒnfɪˈdɑːnt/
There are various pronunciations that are possible, the second syllable is often stressed, but even if not it is a clear vowel /a/
In confident the last vowel is reduced to a schwa, and never stressed. In fact it is so reduced that it is hardly pronounced at all.
/ˈkɒnfɪd(ə)nt/
But the words are distinguished by syntax. "Confidant" is a noun (and rather rare) but "confident" is a common adjective.
answered Jul 2 at 21:14
James KJames K
48.9k1 gold badge48 silver badges121 bronze badges
answered Jul 2 at 21:14
James KJames K
48.9k1 gold badge48 silver badges121 bronze badges
answered Jul 2 at 21:14
James KJames K
48.9k1 gold badge48 silver badges121 bronze badges
answered Jul 2 at 21:14
James KJames K
48.9k1 gold badge48 silver badges121 bronze badges
48.9k1 gold badge48 silver badges121 bronze badges
1
In the word "confident" I pronounce both vowels as a schwa. But in "confidant" I pronounce the "i" as a long "ee" sound, and the "a" as in the answer of @Jasper. I'm an American English speaker, fwiw.
– Lee Mosher
Jul 3 at 14:12
add a comment |
1
In the word "confident" I pronounce both vowels as a schwa. But in "confidant" I pronounce the "i" as a long "ee" sound, and the "a" as in the answer of @Jasper. I'm an American English speaker, fwiw.
– Lee Mosher
Jul 3 at 14:12
1
1
In the word "confident" I pronounce both vowels as a schwa. But in "confidant" I pronounce the "i" as a long "ee" sound, and the "a" as in the answer of @Jasper. I'm an American English speaker, fwiw.
– Lee Mosher
Jul 3 at 14:12
In the word "confident" I pronounce both vowels as a schwa. But in "confidant" I pronounce the "i" as a long "ee" sound, and the "a" as in the answer of @Jasper. I'm an American English speaker, fwiw.
– Lee Mosher
Jul 3 at 14:12
add a comment |
I would say that, while they do sound similar enough in casual usage, they are definitely not the same word.
"Confident" is an adjective that describes someone having the feeling of confidence (i.e. a self-belief); while "a confidant" is a noun that describes a person to whom you might tell a secret (i.e. it is based on the verb to confide).
When spoken aloud, unless emphasised, both will sound like the contracted confidn't (sorry, I haven't studied the pronunciation symbols). Many people—especially those who are aware or observant of its French roots—may increase the emphasis on the -ant part of confidant (and soften the -t), in recognition of those roots.
Now I have looked up an explicit definition of homophone, I would say that the two words do qualify as homophones, in that they are both words that pronounced the same but differ in meaning, derivation or spelling)
answered Jul 2 at 19:23
jimbobmcgeejimbobmcgee
5856 bronze badges
3
I can honestly say that if you pronounce confidant with a schwa in the final syllable, I won't understand you. These two words may be homophones in your dialect, but I suspect you may be in a minority in that regard.
– Dawood ibn Kareem
Jul 4 at 1:26
2
In matters of pronunciation it is useful to say where you live and where you learned English. For example, I'm a lifelong speaker of American English and do not recall ever hearing confidant pronounced in any way that could be mistaken for confident, but regional pronunciations of the same word often differ and it could well be that you are from a region where the two words are pronounced the same. My curiosity is piqued.
– David K
Jul 4 at 2:40
I'm a native UK English speaker (and certainly not an academic), and I've heard it (and would understand it) both ways. For me, the words are so different in meaning that the context of the sentence would make it obvious -- even "my confident confidant" is going to make sense. I've tried to describe that the noun can be emphasised in deference to its French roots. Where I come from, to overtly Frenchify it could sound theatrical or elitist and may open the speaker up for some mild ridicule, but that may say more about the company I keep!
– jimbobmcgee
Jul 4 at 12:09
add a comment |
I would say that, while they do sound similar enough in casual usage, they are definitely not the same word.
"Confident" is an adjective that describes someone having the feeling of confidence (i.e. a self-belief); while "a confidant" is a noun that describes a person to whom you might tell a secret (i.e. it is based on the verb to confide).
When spoken aloud, unless emphasised, both will sound like the contracted confidn't (sorry, I haven't studied the pronunciation symbols). Many people—especially those who are aware or observant of its French roots—may increase the emphasis on the -ant part of confidant (and soften the -t), in recognition of those roots.
Now I have looked up an explicit definition of homophone, I would say that the two words do qualify as homophones, in that they are both words that pronounced the same but differ in meaning, derivation or spelling)
answered Jul 2 at 19:23
jimbobmcgeejimbobmcgee
5856 bronze badges
3
I can honestly say that if you pronounce confidant with a schwa in the final syllable, I won't understand you. These two words may be homophones in your dialect, but I suspect you may be in a minority in that regard.
– Dawood ibn Kareem
Jul 4 at 1:26
2
In matters of pronunciation it is useful to say where you live and where you learned English. For example, I'm a lifelong speaker of American English and do not recall ever hearing confidant pronounced in any way that could be mistaken for confident, but regional pronunciations of the same word often differ and it could well be that you are from a region where the two words are pronounced the same. My curiosity is piqued.
– David K
Jul 4 at 2:40
I'm a native UK English speaker (and certainly not an academic), and I've heard it (and would understand it) both ways. For me, the words are so different in meaning that the context of the sentence would make it obvious -- even "my confident confidant" is going to make sense. I've tried to describe that the noun can be emphasised in deference to its French roots. Where I come from, to overtly Frenchify it could sound theatrical or elitist and may open the speaker up for some mild ridicule, but that may say more about the company I keep!
– jimbobmcgee
Jul 4 at 12:09
add a comment |
I would say that, while they do sound similar enough in casual usage, they are definitely not the same word.
"Confident" is an adjective that describes someone having the feeling of confidence (i.e. a self-belief); while "a confidant" is a noun that describes a person to whom you might tell a secret (i.e. it is based on the verb to confide).
When spoken aloud, unless emphasised, both will sound like the contracted confidn't (sorry, I haven't studied the pronunciation symbols). Many people—especially those who are aware or observant of its French roots—may increase the emphasis on the -ant part of confidant (and soften the -t), in recognition of those roots.
Now I have looked up an explicit definition of homophone, I would say that the two words do qualify as homophones, in that they are both words that pronounced the same but differ in meaning, derivation or spelling)
answered Jul 2 at 19:23
jimbobmcgeejimbobmcgee
5856 bronze badges
I would say that, while they do sound similar enough in casual usage, they are definitely not the same word.
"Confident" is an adjective that describes someone having the feeling of confidence (i.e. a self-belief); while "a confidant" is a noun that describes a person to whom you might tell a secret (i.e. it is based on the verb to confide).
When spoken aloud, unless emphasised, both will sound like the contracted confidn't (sorry, I haven't studied the pronunciation symbols). Many people—especially those who are aware or observant of its French roots—may increase the emphasis on the -ant part of confidant (and soften the -t), in recognition of those roots.
Now I have looked up an explicit definition of homophone, I would say that the two words do qualify as homophones, in that they are both words that pronounced the same but differ in meaning, derivation or spelling)
answered Jul 2 at 19:23
jimbobmcgeejimbobmcgee
5856 bronze badges
edited Jul 2 at 20:01
answered Jul 2 at 19:23
jimbobmcgeejimbobmcgee
5856 bronze badges
answered Jul 2 at 19:23
jimbobmcgeejimbobmcgee
5856 bronze badges
answered Jul 2 at 19:23
jimbobmcgeejimbobmcgee
5856 bronze badges
5856 bronze badges
3
I can honestly say that if you pronounce confidant with a schwa in the final syllable, I won't understand you. These two words may be homophones in your dialect, but I suspect you may be in a minority in that regard.
– Dawood ibn Kareem
Jul 4 at 1:26
2
In matters of pronunciation it is useful to say where you live and where you learned English. For example, I'm a lifelong speaker of American English and do not recall ever hearing confidant pronounced in any way that could be mistaken for confident, but regional pronunciations of the same word often differ and it could well be that you are from a region where the two words are pronounced the same. My curiosity is piqued.
– David K
Jul 4 at 2:40
I'm a native UK English speaker (and certainly not an academic), and I've heard it (and would understand it) both ways. For me, the words are so different in meaning that the context of the sentence would make it obvious -- even "my confident confidant" is going to make sense. I've tried to describe that the noun can be emphasised in deference to its French roots. Where I come from, to overtly Frenchify it could sound theatrical or elitist and may open the speaker up for some mild ridicule, but that may say more about the company I keep!
– jimbobmcgee
Jul 4 at 12:09
add a comment |
3
I can honestly say that if you pronounce confidant with a schwa in the final syllable, I won't understand you. These two words may be homophones in your dialect, but I suspect you may be in a minority in that regard.
– Dawood ibn Kareem
Jul 4 at 1:26
2
In matters of pronunciation it is useful to say where you live and where you learned English. For example, I'm a lifelong speaker of American English and do not recall ever hearing confidant pronounced in any way that could be mistaken for confident, but regional pronunciations of the same word often differ and it could well be that you are from a region where the two words are pronounced the same. My curiosity is piqued.
– David K
Jul 4 at 2:40
I'm a native UK English speaker (and certainly not an academic), and I've heard it (and would understand it) both ways. For me, the words are so different in meaning that the context of the sentence would make it obvious -- even "my confident confidant" is going to make sense. I've tried to describe that the noun can be emphasised in deference to its French roots. Where I come from, to overtly Frenchify it could sound theatrical or elitist and may open the speaker up for some mild ridicule, but that may say more about the company I keep!
– jimbobmcgee
Jul 4 at 12:09
3
3
I can honestly say that if you pronounce confidant with a schwa in the final syllable, I won't understand you. These two words may be homophones in your dialect, but I suspect you may be in a minority in that regard.
– Dawood ibn Kareem
Jul 4 at 1:26
I can honestly say that if you pronounce confidant with a schwa in the final syllable, I won't understand you. These two words may be homophones in your dialect, but I suspect you may be in a minority in that regard.
– Dawood ibn Kareem
Jul 4 at 1:26
2
2
In matters of pronunciation it is useful to say where you live and where you learned English. For example, I'm a lifelong speaker of American English and do not recall ever hearing confidant pronounced in any way that could be mistaken for confident, but regional pronunciations of the same word often differ and it could well be that you are from a region where the two words are pronounced the same. My curiosity is piqued.
– David K
Jul 4 at 2:40
In matters of pronunciation it is useful to say where you live and where you learned English. For example, I'm a lifelong speaker of American English and do not recall ever hearing confidant pronounced in any way that could be mistaken for confident, but regional pronunciations of the same word often differ and it could well be that you are from a region where the two words are pronounced the same. My curiosity is piqued.
– David K
Jul 4 at 2:40
I'm a native UK English speaker (and certainly not an academic), and I've heard it (and would understand it) both ways. For me, the words are so different in meaning that the context of the sentence would make it obvious -- even "my confident confidant" is going to make sense. I've tried to describe that the noun can be emphasised in deference to its French roots. Where I come from, to overtly Frenchify it could sound theatrical or elitist and may open the speaker up for some mild ridicule, but that may say more about the company I keep!
– jimbobmcgee
Jul 4 at 12:09
I'm a native UK English speaker (and certainly not an academic), and I've heard it (and would understand it) both ways. For me, the words are so different in meaning that the context of the sentence would make it obvious -- even "my confident confidant" is going to make sense. I've tried to describe that the noun can be emphasised in deference to its French roots. Where I come from, to overtly Frenchify it could sound theatrical or elitist and may open the speaker up for some mild ridicule, but that may say more about the company I keep!
– jimbobmcgee
Jul 4 at 12:09
add a comment |
This is a job for Youglish! Or it would be if the word "confident" wasn't so often mistyped as "confidant"...
So I can see why they'd be mistaken for homophones, but they are slightly different in pronunciation. The easiest way to identify the typos on Youglish is to understand that confident is an adjective and the related noun is "confidence". Confidant on the other hand, is a noun.
I can also say with some confidence (and thanks to Google's ngrams) that "confident" is a lot more common than "confidant".
My first thought when you mentioned "confidant" was the song "Thank you for being a friend", which includes the word in the first verse. When I have to say the word, that is the way I think of it (i.e. very little "t" sound in it, closer to French pronunciation).
answered Jul 3 at 14:05
PamPam
5252 silver badges7 bronze badges
I know I really shouldn't but I just wanted to say that I joined this community simply so I could say how much I appreciate the punning. Well played. But I do wonder: is the word 'confident' really mistyped as 'confidant'? My eyes zoom in on errors (and things I’m looking for even things I don't know exactly what I’m looking for - but that's another story entirely) and I don't believe I have ever seen that error. But now I’m not so confident... Well I am but I do find it interesting given that I see lots of typos but not that one. I can see how it would happen though: an off by one, really.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:28
@Pryftan, thanks! Frankly, I’m not sure if it’s "mistyped" or if youglish uses some speech-to-text software that picks things up incorrectly in some accents, but the first 3 examples it gave me for "confidant" were definitely "confident" going by the context.
– Pam
Jul 4 at 7:35
add a comment |
This is a job for Youglish! Or it would be if the word "confident" wasn't so often mistyped as "confidant"...
So I can see why they'd be mistaken for homophones, but they are slightly different in pronunciation. The easiest way to identify the typos on Youglish is to understand that confident is an adjective and the related noun is "confidence". Confidant on the other hand, is a noun.
I can also say with some confidence (and thanks to Google's ngrams) that "confident" is a lot more common than "confidant".
My first thought when you mentioned "confidant" was the song "Thank you for being a friend", which includes the word in the first verse. When I have to say the word, that is the way I think of it (i.e. very little "t" sound in it, closer to French pronunciation).
answered Jul 3 at 14:05
PamPam
5252 silver badges7 bronze badges
I know I really shouldn't but I just wanted to say that I joined this community simply so I could say how much I appreciate the punning. Well played. But I do wonder: is the word 'confident' really mistyped as 'confidant'? My eyes zoom in on errors (and things I’m looking for even things I don't know exactly what I’m looking for - but that's another story entirely) and I don't believe I have ever seen that error. But now I’m not so confident... Well I am but I do find it interesting given that I see lots of typos but not that one. I can see how it would happen though: an off by one, really.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:28
@Pryftan, thanks! Frankly, I’m not sure if it’s "mistyped" or if youglish uses some speech-to-text software that picks things up incorrectly in some accents, but the first 3 examples it gave me for "confidant" were definitely "confident" going by the context.
– Pam
Jul 4 at 7:35
add a comment |
This is a job for Youglish! Or it would be if the word "confident" wasn't so often mistyped as "confidant"...
So I can see why they'd be mistaken for homophones, but they are slightly different in pronunciation. The easiest way to identify the typos on Youglish is to understand that confident is an adjective and the related noun is "confidence". Confidant on the other hand, is a noun.
I can also say with some confidence (and thanks to Google's ngrams) that "confident" is a lot more common than "confidant".
My first thought when you mentioned "confidant" was the song "Thank you for being a friend", which includes the word in the first verse. When I have to say the word, that is the way I think of it (i.e. very little "t" sound in it, closer to French pronunciation).
answered Jul 3 at 14:05
PamPam
5252 silver badges7 bronze badges
This is a job for Youglish! Or it would be if the word "confident" wasn't so often mistyped as "confidant"...
So I can see why they'd be mistaken for homophones, but they are slightly different in pronunciation. The easiest way to identify the typos on Youglish is to understand that confident is an adjective and the related noun is "confidence". Confidant on the other hand, is a noun.
I can also say with some confidence (and thanks to Google's ngrams) that "confident" is a lot more common than "confidant".
My first thought when you mentioned "confidant" was the song "Thank you for being a friend", which includes the word in the first verse. When I have to say the word, that is the way I think of it (i.e. very little "t" sound in it, closer to French pronunciation).
answered Jul 3 at 14:05
PamPam
5252 silver badges7 bronze badges
answered Jul 3 at 14:05
PamPam
5252 silver badges7 bronze badges
answered Jul 3 at 14:05
PamPam
5252 silver badges7 bronze badges
answered Jul 3 at 14:05
PamPam
5252 silver badges7 bronze badges
5252 silver badges7 bronze badges
I know I really shouldn't but I just wanted to say that I joined this community simply so I could say how much I appreciate the punning. Well played. But I do wonder: is the word 'confident' really mistyped as 'confidant'? My eyes zoom in on errors (and things I’m looking for even things I don't know exactly what I’m looking for - but that's another story entirely) and I don't believe I have ever seen that error. But now I’m not so confident... Well I am but I do find it interesting given that I see lots of typos but not that one. I can see how it would happen though: an off by one, really.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:28
@Pryftan, thanks! Frankly, I’m not sure if it’s "mistyped" or if youglish uses some speech-to-text software that picks things up incorrectly in some accents, but the first 3 examples it gave me for "confidant" were definitely "confident" going by the context.
– Pam
Jul 4 at 7:35
add a comment |
I know I really shouldn't but I just wanted to say that I joined this community simply so I could say how much I appreciate the punning. Well played. But I do wonder: is the word 'confident' really mistyped as 'confidant'? My eyes zoom in on errors (and things I’m looking for even things I don't know exactly what I’m looking for - but that's another story entirely) and I don't believe I have ever seen that error. But now I’m not so confident... Well I am but I do find it interesting given that I see lots of typos but not that one. I can see how it would happen though: an off by one, really.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:28
@Pryftan, thanks! Frankly, I’m not sure if it’s "mistyped" or if youglish uses some speech-to-text software that picks things up incorrectly in some accents, but the first 3 examples it gave me for "confidant" were definitely "confident" going by the context.
– Pam
Jul 4 at 7:35
I know I really shouldn't but I just wanted to say that I joined this community simply so I could say how much I appreciate the punning. Well played. But I do wonder: is the word 'confident' really mistyped as 'confidant'? My eyes zoom in on errors (and things I’m looking for even things I don't know exactly what I’m looking for - but that's another story entirely) and I don't believe I have ever seen that error. But now I’m not so confident... Well I am but I do find it interesting given that I see lots of typos but not that one. I can see how it would happen though: an off by one, really.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:28
I know I really shouldn't but I just wanted to say that I joined this community simply so I could say how much I appreciate the punning. Well played. But I do wonder: is the word 'confident' really mistyped as 'confidant'? My eyes zoom in on errors (and things I’m looking for even things I don't know exactly what I’m looking for - but that's another story entirely) and I don't believe I have ever seen that error. But now I’m not so confident... Well I am but I do find it interesting given that I see lots of typos but not that one. I can see how it would happen though: an off by one, really.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:28
@Pryftan, thanks! Frankly, I’m not sure if it’s "mistyped" or if youglish uses some speech-to-text software that picks things up incorrectly in some accents, but the first 3 examples it gave me for "confidant" were definitely "confident" going by the context.
– Pam
Jul 4 at 7:35
@Pryftan, thanks! Frankly, I’m not sure if it’s "mistyped" or if youglish uses some speech-to-text software that picks things up incorrectly in some accents, but the first 3 examples it gave me for "confidant" were definitely "confident" going by the context.
– Pam
Jul 4 at 7:35
add a comment |
Not homophones.
ConfidAnt sounds French with a wider A, like pendant, vacant, but with accent on A
Confident sounds normal , like student, president.
answered Jul 3 at 11:35
ellysislandellysisland
271 bronze badge
2
To my BrEng ears, pedant & vacant match student & president, no hint of a 'French A', all are a simple schwa ə.
– Tetsujin
Jul 4 at 7:38
Whereas to my Br English ears, there is a subtle difference in the examples. As with all accents, YMMV.
– Wenlocke
Jul 4 at 10:57
add a comment |
Not homophones.
ConfidAnt sounds French with a wider A, like pendant, vacant, but with accent on A
Confident sounds normal , like student, president.
answered Jul 3 at 11:35
ellysislandellysisland
271 bronze badge
2
To my BrEng ears, pedant & vacant match student & president, no hint of a 'French A', all are a simple schwa ə.
– Tetsujin
Jul 4 at 7:38
Whereas to my Br English ears, there is a subtle difference in the examples. As with all accents, YMMV.
– Wenlocke
Jul 4 at 10:57
add a comment |
Not homophones.
ConfidAnt sounds French with a wider A, like pendant, vacant, but with accent on A
Confident sounds normal , like student, president.
answered Jul 3 at 11:35
ellysislandellysisland
271 bronze badge
Not homophones.
ConfidAnt sounds French with a wider A, like pendant, vacant, but with accent on A
Confident sounds normal , like student, president.
answered Jul 3 at 11:35
ellysislandellysisland
271 bronze badge
answered Jul 3 at 11:35
ellysislandellysisland
271 bronze badge
answered Jul 3 at 11:35
ellysislandellysisland
271 bronze badge
answered Jul 3 at 11:35
ellysislandellysisland
271 bronze badge
271 bronze badge
2
To my BrEng ears, pedant & vacant match student & president, no hint of a 'French A', all are a simple schwa ə.
– Tetsujin
Jul 4 at 7:38
Whereas to my Br English ears, there is a subtle difference in the examples. As with all accents, YMMV.
– Wenlocke
Jul 4 at 10:57
add a comment |
2
To my BrEng ears, pedant & vacant match student & president, no hint of a 'French A', all are a simple schwa ə.
– Tetsujin
Jul 4 at 7:38
Whereas to my Br English ears, there is a subtle difference in the examples. As with all accents, YMMV.
– Wenlocke
Jul 4 at 10:57
2
2
To my BrEng ears, pedant & vacant match student & president, no hint of a 'French A', all are a simple schwa ə.
– Tetsujin
Jul 4 at 7:38
To my BrEng ears, pedant & vacant match student & president, no hint of a 'French A', all are a simple schwa ə.
– Tetsujin
Jul 4 at 7:38
Whereas to my Br English ears, there is a subtle difference in the examples. As with all accents, YMMV.
– Wenlocke
Jul 4 at 10:57
Whereas to my Br English ears, there is a subtle difference in the examples. As with all accents, YMMV.
– Wenlocke
Jul 4 at 10:57
add a comment |
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For what it's worth you can for pronunciation always go to OED's website where they have a pronunciation. If you have central auditory processing disorder like I do it might sometimes be difficult especially when there is a subtle difference but that of course varies. I personally hear a slight difference so if I can I imagine most others can too. lexico.com/en/definition/confident and lexico.com/en/definition/confidant Oh and they also have the IPA if you are familiar enough with it. Of course if you're after American pronunciation maybe not the best place but anyway.
– Pryftan
Jul 4 at 0:33
Looking at the IPA is always the best way to tell if two words are pronounced differently. Even if you do not know the IPA very well you will at least see that there is a difference and where in the word. James K's answer gives the IPA for both words.
– Eric Nolan
Jul 4 at 20:43