penult

American  

[pee-nuhlt, pi-nuhlt] / ˈpi nʌlt, pɪˈnʌlt /

Also penultima

noun

1. the next to the last syllable in a word.

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penult British  

/ pɪˈnʌlt, pɪˈnʌltɪmə, ˈpɛnʌlt /

noun

1. the last syllable but one in a word

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Etymology

Origin of penult

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

Example Sentences

Occasionally, an Indian name came to his lips, hesitant syllables cascaded to a tenebrous penult: Rabindranath Tagore.

From Time Magazine Archive

Worcester's orthography is Hindostanee and Hindostany, but the accent is on the penult as above.

From Every-Day Errors of Speech by Meredith, L. P.

Words ending in ic usually accent the penult, scientif′ic, histor′ic, etc.

From The Art Of Writing & Speaking The English Language Word-Study and Composition & Rhetoric by Cody, Sherwin

In such words the accent stands upon the penult, even though that be short.

From New Latin Grammar by Bennett, Charles E. (Charles Edwin)

Footnote: The Indian names are usually pronounced exactly as spelled, with each syllable distinctly sounded, and the principal accent on the penult, as in Ah-wah´-nee, or the antepenult, as in Yo-sem´-i-te.

From Indians of the Yosemite Valley and Vicinity Their History, Customs and Traditions by Clark, Galen