pronunciation

noun

pro·nun·ci·a·tion prə-ˌnən(t)-sē-ˈā-shən

also nonstandard -ˌnau̇n(t)-

: the act or manner of pronouncing something

pronunciational

prə-ˌnən(t)-sē-ˈā-shnəl

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

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Is it 'pronunciation' or 'pronounciation'?

Among the various letters and emails we receive from correspondents asking for pronunciation help are a number in which pronunciation is spelled pronounciation. The confusion is understandable: the verb is pronounce, so why shouldn’t the noun be pronounciation? Both the noun and verb come ultimately from the Latin verb pronuntiare. But when the Latin verb was taken into Anglo-French and later entered Middle English, that second vowel was sometimes rendered as -u- and sometimes rendered as -ou-. This means that, from about the 1500s onward, we see evidence of both pronounciation and pronunciation in the written record. Eventually, the noun standardized to pronunciation, but because of influence from pronounce, we occasionally still see pronounciation in print, and encounter a corresponding pronunciation for pronounciation (\pruh-nown-see-AY-shun\). These facts notwithstanding, the pronounciation spelling and the pronunciation that goes with it are not considered a part of standard English, and may open one criticism or questioning.

Examples of pronunciation in a Sentence

What is the correct pronunciation of his name? I haven't learned proper pronunciation of French words.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Preply surveyed 1,000 Americans in order to determine the most common pronunciation for Thanksgiving. —

Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024 That led to one funny moment, Davidson recalled, when brothers Boris and Dmitri Mironov preferred different pronunciations for the same name. —

Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024 On top of that, kids are still learning how to speak, making their pronunciations and speech patterns unpredictable. —

Ulrich Boser, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024 Lingering descendants of the families, or those who knew them, adhere to the original pronunciations, but the majority of the community no longer does. —

Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pronunciation