How to pronounce Stephen
English · UK and US
IPA: /ˈstiːvən/
- SteSTEE (stressed)
- phenvuhn
Voice: synthetic.
Stress
Ste·phen
First syllable: STEE.
The common mistake
- Not
STEF-en
But STEE-vuhn
A few people named Stephen do say STEF-en; if you're not sure, ask.
Origin and meaning
From the Greek Stephanos. Saint Stephen, remembered as the first Christian martyr, spread the name, and the Normans brought it to England.
Meaning: “crown, wreath”
Variants and namesakes
- Steven
- A different spelling, said exactly the same way.
- Stefan · Étienne · Esteban
- The same name in German and Polish, French, and Spanish.
- Stephen Hawking · Stephen King
- Two well-known bearers.
Sources
- Syllables
- en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Stephen
- The common mistake
- Wiktionary gives /ˈstiːvən/ and "very rarely /ˈstɛfən/"; Behind the Name lists both.
- Variants and namesakes
- en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Stephen (Steven, homophone); behindthename.com/name/stephen (Stefan, Étienne, Esteban; Hawking, King)
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