ðə dɪstˈɪŋkʃən bᵻtwˌiːn ɐ pɹˈɪnsli ˈæbi ænd ɐn ɪmpˈɪɹiəl ˈæbi wʌz ɹᵻlˈeɪɾᵻd tə ðə stˈæɾəs ʌvðɪ ˈæbət: wˌaɪl bˈoʊθ pɹˈɪnsˈæbəts ænd ðə mˈoːɹ nˈuːmɚɹəs ɪmpˈɪɹiəl ˈæbəts sˈæt ɔnðɪ ᵻklˌiːzɪˈæstɪkəl bˈɛntʃ ʌvðə kˈɑːlɪdʒ ʌv ɹˈuːlɪŋ pɹˈɪnsᵻz ʌvðɪ ɪmpˈɪɹiəl dˈaɪət, pɹˈɪnsˈæbəts kˈæst ɐn ˌɪndᵻvˈɪdʒuːəl vˈoʊt wˌaɪl ɪmpˈɪɹiəl ˈæbəts kˈæst ˈoʊnli ɐ kjˈʊɹɹɪəl kəlˈɛktɪv vˈoʊt ɐlˈɔŋsaɪd hɪz ɔːɹ hɜː fˈɛloʊ ɪmpˈɪɹiəl ˈæbəts ænd ˈæbɛsᵻz.
The distinction between a princely abbey and an imperial abbey was related to the status of the abbot: while both prince-abbots and the more numerous imperial abbots sat on the ecclesiastical bench of the College of ruling princes of the Imperial Diet, prince-abbots cast an individual vote while imperial abbots cast only a curial (collective) vote alongside his or her fellow imperial abbots and abbesses.