plural noun
Numbers that show how much of something there is out of 100 equal parts.
The graph shows the percentages of students in each age group.
The percentages of households with internet access rose last year.
American English
How to pronounce percentages
nounB1Common word
pʰerSEHNtihjihz
/pʰɚˈsɛn.tɪ.ʤɪz/
4 syllables · Stress the second syllable.
Form of percentage
After a number, English usually uses percent, not percentages.
Numbers that show how much of something there is out of 100 equal parts.
What to listen for
“Percentages” is usually pronounced /pʰɚˈsɛn.tɪ.ʤɪz/. In natural American speech, the middle /t/ may disappear, so you may also hear /pʰɚˈsɛ.nɪ.ʤɪz/, even when the word is said alone.
Usual pronunciation/pʰɚˈsɛn.tɪ.ʤɪz/
Common natural-speech variant/pʰɚˈsɛ.nɪ.ʤɪz/
Meanings & examples
plural noun
Shares of money or another total that someone receives or pays, calculated as percentages.
The contract lists the percentages of sales that each agent receives.
The percentages of the profits paid to investors vary by contract.
Useful expressions
a unit equal to one percent when comparing percentages
The rate rose by two percentage points.