pronounce

[ pruh-nouns ]

/ prəˈnaʊns /

verb (used with object), pro·nounced, pro·nounc·ing.

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

to utter or sound in a particular manner in speaking: He pronounces his words indistinctly.

to utter or articulate in the accepted or correct manner: I can't pronounce this word.

to declare (a person or thing) to be as specified: She pronounced it the best salmon she had ever tasted.

to utter or deliver formally or solemnly: to pronounce sentence.

to announce authoritatively or officially: The judge pronounced the defendant guilty.

to indicate the pronunciation of (words) by providing a phonetic transcription: This dictionary pronounces most of the words entered.

verb (used without object), pro·nounced, pro·nounc·ing.

to pronounce words, phrases, etc.

to make a statement or assertion, especially an authoritative statement (often followed by on): He was required to pronounce on the findings of his research.

to give an opinion or decision (usually followed by on): to pronounce on an important matter.

to indicate the pronunciation of words: a spelling book that pronounces.

Nearby words

Origin of pronounce

1300–50; Middle English pronouncen < Middle French prononcier < Latin prōnūntiāre to proclaim, announce, recite, utter. See pro-¹, announce

Related forms

pro·nounce·a·ble, adjectivepro·nounce·a·ble·ness, nounpro·nounc·er, nounpre·pro·nounce, verb (used with object), pre·pro·nounced, pre·pro·nounc·ing.

un·pro·nounce·a·ble, adjectiveun·pro·nounc·ing, adjective

Can be confusedannounce enunciate pronounce (see synonym study at announce)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pronouncing

And by pronouncing other cultures and political systems “evil,” there was the assurance that America was good.
How Obama's Shallow Worldview Failed Us|Stuart Stevens|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Williams showed off her best dance moves after pronouncing, without a hint of irony, “‘Flawless’ by Beyoncé!”
Game of Thrones: Sex, Swords, and Dragons at a Fans’ Night Out|Scott Bixby|March 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I loved how he could make the word “public” rhyme with “subject” just by pronouncing it differently.
Big Daddy Kane: The Hip-Hop MC on Las Supper, Madonna, Jay-Z, and What’s Next|Curtis Stephen|April 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Pronouncing illegality, governments will often undertake demolitions of slum houses.
They All Fall Down: The Perils of Mumbai Housing|Dilip D’Souza|April 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST

He himself might joke that he was better at pronouncing the Spanish than the English.
Is Harry Reid Right About the GOP?|Matt Latimer|August 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST
His commanders unite in pronouncing him admirable for courage in the field, commendable for obedience in camp.
The Negro Problem|Booker T. Washington, et al.
This refers to a twofold mode of pronouncing the Palatal and Lingual consonants, whether plain or aspirated.
Elements of Gaelic Grammar|Alexander Stewart
Dr. Brill says, "hoezee seems to be only another mode of pronouncing the German juchh."
Notes and Queries, Number 203, September 17, 1853|Various
My soul recoils from the bare idea of pronouncing my own accursed name!
Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf|George W. M. Reynolds
Pronounce′ment, act of pronouncing: an announcement or proclamation; Pronoun′cer.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for pronouncing

pronounce

/ (prəˈnaʊns) /

verb

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

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

(tr; may take a clause as object) to proclaim officially and solemnlyI now pronounce you man and wife

(when tr, may take a clause as object) to declare as one's judgmentto pronounce the death sentence upon someone

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

Derived Formspronounceable, adjectivepronouncer, noun

Word Origin for pronounce

C14: from Latin prōnuntiāre to announce, from pro- 1 + nuntiāre to announce

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

Word Origin and History for pronouncing

pronounce

early 14c., "to declare officially;" late 14c., "to speak, utter," from Old French prononcier "declare, speak out, pronounce" (late 13c., Modern French prononcer), from Late Latin pronunciare, from Latin pronuntiare "to proclaim, announce; pronounce, utter," from pro- "forth, out, in public" (see pro-) + nuntiare "announce," from nuntius "messenger" (see nuncio). With reference to the mode of sounding words or languages, it is attested from 1620s (but cf. pronunciation in this sense early 15c.). Related: Pronounced; pronouncing.

pronounce

verb (used with object), pro·nounced, pro·nounc·ing.

verb (used without object), pro·nounced, pro·nounc·ing.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of pronounce

Examples from the Web for pronouncing

pronounce

verb

Word Origin for pronounce

pronounce