pronunciation
noun
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Is it 'pronunciation' or 'pronounciation'?
Among the various letters and emails we receive from correspondents asking for pronunciation help are a number in which pronunciation is spelled pronounciation. The confusion is understandable: the verb is pronounce, so why shouldn’t the noun be pronounciation? Both the noun and verb come ultimately from the Latin verb pronuntiare. But when the Latin verb was taken into Anglo-French and later entered Middle English, that second vowel was sometimes rendered as -u- and sometimes rendered as -ou-. This means that, from about the 1500s onward, we see evidence of both pronounciation and pronunciation in the written record. Eventually, the noun standardized to pronunciation, but because of influence from pronounce, we occasionally still see pronounciation in print, and encounter a corresponding pronunciation for pronounciation (\pruh-nown-see-AY-shun\). These facts notwithstanding, the pronounciation spelling and the pronunciation that goes with it are not considered a part of standard English, and may open one criticism or questioning.
Examples of pronunciation in a Sentence
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
Since there isn't a stress on either the first or second part of the word, either can be stressed and the pronunciation will still be correct.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Jan. 2025
Steely Dan’s Aja (different spelling, but same pronunciation) peaked at No. 3 in 1977.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 13 Jan. 2025
The voices teaching you are all native speakers who will guide you through pronunciation.
—New Atlas, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pronunciation 
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Dictionary Entries Near pronunciation
Cite this Entry
“Pronunciation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pronunciation. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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pronunciation
noun
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