penult

noun

pe·​nult ˈpē-ˌnəlt  pi-ˈnəlt 

: the next to the last member of a series

especially : the second to last syllable of a word : penultima

Sam must have known Sophia Peabody Hawthorne. (Peabody. Was the accent on the first syllable or should you come down hard on the penult, too? … )

—Jane Langton

Word History

Etymology

Latin paenultima penult, from feminine of paenultimus almost last, from paene almost + ultimus last — more at ultimate

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

penult

noun

pe·​nult ˈpē-ˌnəlt  pi-ˈnəlt 

: the next to the last syllable of a word