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

Did you know?

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.

The film is a feat of maximalist and moody production design and cinematography, but the tedious and overwrought script renders every character two-dimensional, despite the effortful acting and teary pronunciations. —

Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024 The background noise could be marring your perfect pronunciation. Rinse and repeat. —

Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024 Speaking styles shape how people perceive each other, and they’re often divided into two categories: accents, which revolve around the pronunciation of words, and dialects, which cover pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. —

Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Dec. 2024 Many people, including her opponent Donald Trump, who later went on to win the November 5 election, pronounced her name Ka-MALA instead of the correct pronunciation, COM-a-la. —

Jason Fields, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pronunciation