# Pronounce "default" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119 "2018-09-28T16:33:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/21 "2018-09-28T21:50:16Z")
And how about “gone”? Rhyming with Don or fawn. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/22 "2018-09-28T23:00:31Z")
For me, default gets pronounced both ways depending on context, just like “the”. Sometimes dee-fault others duh-fault thee/the:D ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/23 "2018-09-28T23:18:16Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > It’s common in English for a two syllable word to have the accent on the first syllable when it is used as a noun and on the second when it is used as a verb; for example, “permit”, “record”, “addict”, “refill”, “recoil”, etc. (Long list [on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial-stress-derived_noun)). So it would be expected that “default” would have a first syllable accent as a noun (“That procedure is the default”), and a second syllable accent when used as a verb (“He is going to default on his loan.”). To me the ambiguous cases are when it is used as an adjective, and in such cases neither pronunciation seems wrong to me. Yep for me. If a noun or adjective, stress on first syllable. If verb, on second. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/24 "2018-09-28T23:19:03Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > And how about “gone”? Rhyming with Don or fawn. Um…all three of those rhyme with each other, and also with dawn, spawn, and Sean/Shawn. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/25 "2018-09-28T23:28:45Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > And how about “gone”? Rhyming with Don or fawn. Different meaning of “accent”. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/26 "2018-09-29T02:43:30Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I am not a linguist, but I have noticed there are some words where those born in the U.S. will put the stress on the first syllable, while a European will put the stress on the second syllable. The example I hear most often is > > **research** > > Here in the U.S., most people say **REE-search**. In Europe most people pronounce it **ri-SEARCH**. Stress on the first syllable when it’s a noun, stress on the second when it’s a verb: I’m going to the library to re_search_ it; I may have to do a a lot of _re_search. Same pattern with default: he de_faulted_ on his student loan, which is his _de_fault behaviour. [It’s a common pattern in English when the same word is used as both noun and verb.](http://www.businessenglishresources.com/learn-english-for-business/teachers-section/mini-lessons/pronunciation-lessons-pronunciation-changes-in-words-that-are-both-nouns-and-verbs/) eta: or, on preview, exactly what **markn** + said above. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/27 "2018-09-29T02:55:38Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Oddly enough, I’ve been considering starting a thread to collect examples of this, for no other reason than I think it’s kind of a cool linguistic curiosity. Should have figured Wikipedia already did it for me! It’s not just a curiosity, it becomes necessary when you’re teaching ESL: see my link above. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/28 "2018-09-29T03:32:48Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > It’s common in English for a two syllable word to have the accent on the first syllable when it is used as a noun and on the second when it is used as a verb; for example, “permit”, “record”, “addict”, “refill”, “recoil”, etc. (Long list [on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial-stress-derived_noun)). So it would be expected that “default” would have a first syllable accent as a noun (“That procedure is the default”), and a second syllable accent when used as a verb (“He is going to default on his loan.”). To me the ambiguous cases are when it is used as an adjective, and in such cases neither pronunciation seems wrong to me. Some people make this distinction all the time (or try to), others do so only for certain words. I think that might explain the differences of opinion regarding this particular word. I would bet big money that the verb “li-CENSE” is 2nd-syllable accented by only a tiny minority, if anyone at all. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/29 "2018-09-29T04:51:07Z")
I’ve never thought about it until this thread, but after trying out DEE-fault in several contexts, I can definitively say I never say DEE-fault. Always de-fault. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/30 "2018-09-29T05:49:28Z")
From this side of the Atlantic, it’s always “dee” rather than “duh”, but the stress will vary. I’m not entirely certain whether it’s simply a matter of euphony in relation to the rhythm of the phrase or sentence it"s used in, or to do with whether it’s being used as an adjective (“the DEE-fault position”) or verb ("he’s dee-FAULT-ed). It may just be that that like “research”, “harass” and “exquisite”", it’s one of those words where the stress has simply wandered over time for reasons unknown. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/31 "2018-09-29T07:06:45Z")
“Throatwarbler mangrove”. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119/32 "2018-09-29T15:14:50Z")
^ What a super woody sort of phrase. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-default/822119.md?page=1)