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According to a famous spelling joke, how is the invented English word ghoti pronounced?

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pronounce

American  

[pruh-nauns] / prəˈnaʊns /

verb (used with object)

• pronounces,
  present (3rd person singular)
• pronounced,
  past participle,  past
• pronouncing
  present participle

1. 

   to enunciate or articulate (sounds, words, sentences, etc.).

2. to utter or sound in a particular manner in speaking.

   He pronounces his words indistinctly.

3. to utter or articulate in the accepted or correct manner.

   I can't pronounce this word.

4. to declare (a person or thing) to be as specified.

   She pronounced it the best salmon she had ever tasted.

5. to utter or deliver formally or solemnly.

   to pronounce sentence.

6. to announce authoritatively or officially.

   The judge pronounced the defendant guilty.

7. to indicate the pronunciation of (words) by providing a phonetic transcription.

   This dictionary pronounces most of the words entered.

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verb (used without object)

• pronounces,
  present (3rd person singular)
• pronounced,
  past participle,  past
• pronouncing
  present participle

1. to pronounce words, phrases, etc.

2. to make a statement or assertion, especially an authoritative statement (often followed byon ).

   He was required to pronounce on the findings of his research.

3. to give an opinion or decision (usually followed byon ).

   to pronounce on an important matter.

4. to indicate the pronunciation of words.

   a spelling book that pronounces.

pronounce British  

/ prəˈnaʊns /

verb

1. to utter or articulate (a sound or sequence of sounds)

2. (tr) to utter or articulate (sounds or words) in the correct way

3. (tr; may take a clause as object) to proclaim officially and solemnly

   I now pronounce you man and wife

4. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to declare as one's judgment

   to pronounce the death sentence upon someone

5. (tr) to make a phonetic transcription of (sounds or words)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pronounceableness
  noun
• pronouncer
  noun
• prepronounce
  verb (used with object)
• pronounceable
  adjective
• unpronounceable
  adjective
• unpronouncing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• pronouncing
  present
• pronounced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• pronounce
  simple
• pronounces
  simple
• have pronounced
  perfect
• has pronounced
  perfect
• am pronouncing
  progressive
• are pronouncing
  progressive
• is pronouncing
  progressive
• have been pronouncing
  perfect progressive
• has been pronouncing
  perfect progressive

Past

• pronounced
  simple
• had pronounced
  perfect
• was pronouncing
  progressive
• were pronouncing
  progressive
• had been pronouncing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pronounce
  simple
• will have pronounced
  perfect
• will be pronouncing
  progressive
• will have been pronouncing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of pronounce

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pronouncen, from Middle French prononcier, from Latin prōnūntiāre “to proclaim, announce, recite, utter”; see pro- ¹, announce

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Explanation

If you have a teacher who asks the class to call him "Mr. B," it's probably because his name is really hard to pronounce. When you pronounce a word, you sound it out. When you say something in a particular way, you pronounce it. The verb pronounce has another meaning, too — "to declare formally." It's not too different from announcing something, but it implies something more official and solemn — just think of the phrase "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pronounce pronounces pronounced pronouncing

There was at least one line in the sand: “You had to pronounce Gloucester correctly,” Davey said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

That’s close to how you pronounce the new starter at quarterback there, Tyler Shough, whose last name sounds like “shuck,” as in shucking oysters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

I asked a few experts in the history of nationalism to pronounce on America’s relative longevity, and discovered that the answer to this question is surprisingly complicated.

From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2026

Yes, the cake is meant to taste like a childhood birthday party — so sweet it makes your teeth ring and artificial, loaded with all kinds of preservatives we can’t quite pronounce.

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026

He always says my name exactly how I pronounce it, the Spanish way.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

One of his sons pronounces the name "Hit-lay", in order to escape embarrassment, and his grandchildren have taken their mothers' names.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

He pronounces the name of Harry’s school nemesis, Draco Malfoy, as Americans do: Mal-foy rather than Mal-foy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

He’s a charming voice actor, and she pronounces every word through her nostrils, so they balance each other out better than any other couple on the show.

From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2025

Valadao also rarely pronounces his last name with the nasal Portuguese ending akin to Vala-downg, Borges said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2024

“It seems this year’s number one draft pick will be an untested, untried, unranked wild card”—he pronounces each word slowly, with huge emphasis—“who nevertheless impressed us all with her disruption of the opening ceremony game!”

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

If anything, his acknowledgements were not as pronounced as they were in Como after the equally devastating loss.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

There are songs of nuanced but pronounced faith.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

These signaling networks became more pronounced during the second arthritis episode.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

She’s waiting for me to answer, and meanwhile I’m fixated on the way she pronounced his first name.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

New England is ready to absorb Scotland as its seventh state as soon as the Scots agree to stop pronouncing their r’s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

Could his trouble pronouncing acetaminophen be a phonemic paraphasic error?

From Slate ● Jan. 26, 2026

"When the institution tried to correct this, it felt like being told you're pronouncing your mate's name wrong."

From BBC ● Nov. 26, 2025

When he asked for my name and where I was from, I said, “Laura,” pronouncing it the American way, “Loh-ruh.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2025

And I would read him the letter—reading slowly and pronouncing each word with extreme care—telling him that his claims for a pension had not been substantiated and that his application had been rejected.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

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