penult

[ pee-nuhlt, pi-nuhlt ]

/ ˈpi nʌlt, pɪˈnʌlt /

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noun

the next to the last syllable in a word.

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Also pe·nul·ti·ma

[pi-nuhl-tuh-muh]. /pɪˈnʌl tə mə/.

Origin of penult

1530–40; <Latin paenultima (syllaba), contraction of paene ultima almost the last; see pen-, ultima

Words nearby penult

pentyl acetate, pentylenetetrazol, pentyl group, penuche, penuchle, penult, penultimate, penumbra, penumbral, penurious, penury

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use penult in a sentence

This anie eare may if he accent the antepenult matrmonie, or the penult matrimnie, or the last as matrimone.
Of the Orthographie and Congruitie of the Britan Tongue|Alexander Hume
If the penult is short, the antepenult is accented provided it be long: Sansthā́naka.
The Little Clay Cart|(Attributed To) King Shudraka
The accent is usually on the penult vowel, sometimes on the last, but never on the antipenult.
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 5|Robert Kerr
The Indian name is pronounced as if written “Thayendanauga,” with accent on penult.
The American Revolution|John Fiske

Names on which accents are not placed are accented on the penult.
Creation Myths of Primitive America|Jeremiah Curtin

British Dictionary definitions for penult

penult

penultima (pɪˈnʌltɪmə)

/ (ˈpɛnʌlt, pɪˈnʌlt) /

noun

the last syllable but one in a word

Word Origin for penult

C16: Latin paenultima syllaba, from paene ultima almost the last

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012