Phnom Penh

American  

[nom pen, puh-nawm pen] / ˈnɒm ˈpɛn, pəˈnɔm ˈpɛn /

Or Pnom Penh,

noun

1. a city in and the capital of Cambodia, in the S part.

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Phnom Penh British  

/ ˌpnɒm ˈpɛn /

noun

1. Official transliteration: Phnum Péhn.  the capital of Cambodia, a port in the south at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers: capital of the country since 1865; university (1960). Pop: 1 174 000 (2005 est)

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Example Sentences

The freed workers flooded city streets in Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Like Xu, the sanctioned developer of the Phnom Penh skyscraper, Chen was an émigré from China and a naturalized Cambodian citizen.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Now living in Phnom Penh after the Cambodian government facilitated his repatriation from Eswatini, Rom said he was still "getting used to the freedom" but was ready to move on.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Cambodia has long been one of China's staunchest allies in Southeast Asia, and Beijing has extended its influence over Phnom Penh in recent years.

From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026

From our balcony, most of Phnom Penh looms only two or three stories high, with few buildings standing as tall as eight.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung