Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ascertain

/ˌæsɚˈteɪn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.29 in modern English

Syllables
as-cer-tain
IPA
/ˌæsɚˈteɪn/
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To find out definitely; to discover or establish.

Transitive verb

verb

To make (someone) certain or confident about something; to inform.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To look for something lost.

Dated; Intransitive verb

verb

To establish, to prove.

Archaic; Transitive verb

verb

To ensure or effect.

Archaic; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English acerteynen, from Old French acertener, from a- (“to, towards”) + certener (“make sure of”), from the adjective certain, from Latin certus (“certain, fixed”). Compare to Spanish acertar.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *krey-, acerteynen, acertener, certus

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌæsɚˈteɪn/
  • British English: /ˌæsəˈteɪn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce ascertain?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌæsɚˈteɪn/.
What does ascertain mean?
To find out definitely; to discover or establish.
Where does ascertain come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce ascertain

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ascertain”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌæsɚˈteɪn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “ascertain”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “ascertain” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.