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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Another corrected her classmate’s pronunciation of the candidate’s first name. —

Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024 But after correcting Yang over the correct pronunciation of Michaels' first name, Meyers explained to his friends that Michaels has actually won 21 Emmys — and that SNL itself has taken home over 200. —

Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2024 The family’s sing-songy pronunciation makes the sobriquet sound almost Italian to my ears, somewhere in the range of Papa-tierri, a mondegreen that elicits no shortage of laughter among celebrants. —

Nico Lang, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024 The voices that are teaching you are all native speakers who will guide you through pronunciation. —

New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pronunciation