What does pronounce mean?
Pronounce is a verb with two connected meanings. In its everyday use, it means to say a word or phrase aloud, usually with the intention of producing its accepted sound. This sense is often used when a speaker is uncertain about how a name, technical term, or unfamiliar word sounds. In a more formal sense, pronounce means to make an official declaration: a judge pronounces a verdict, a court pronounces someone legally dead, or an officiant pronounces two people man and wife. The word is useful because it distinguishes not only speaking aloud but speaking in a deliberate, correct, or authoritative manner. Although modern pronunciation varies considerably according to accent and background, the act of pronouncing a word is usually understood as reproducing its sounds clearly. The related noun pronunciation refers both to this act and to the particular system of sounds associated with a word.
verbTo say a word or phrase aloud, especially in its accepted or correct form. It can also mean to state formally or officially, as in “I pronounce you man and wife.”
- To say a word or phrase aloud, especially in its correct or accepted form.
- To state or declare something formally, especially in a legal or ceremonial context.
"She pronounced the difficult surname with surprising confidence."
"How do you pronounce the name of this medication?"
"The judge pronounced the defendant guilty."
You can pronounce a word correctly without always knowing what it means—and know exactly what it means without being able to pronounce it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pronounce come from?
Pronounce comes through Middle English from Old French pronuncier, which was borrowed from Latin pronunciare, “to proclaim” or “announce.” The Latin verb was formed from pro-, meaning “forward” or “out,” and nuntiare, “to announce” or “declare,” from nuntius, “messenger.” The same broader root is reflected in English words such as announce, denounce, and renounce. The word’s formal sense of making an authoritative declaration developed from its older sense of proclaiming or announcing.
Related word forms
How pronounce is actually used
In its formal sense, “pronounce” is used in legal, judicial, and ceremonial contexts. The pronunciation of a word may vary between accents and dialects; a pronunciation can be acceptable in one community while sounding unusual in another.
Easily confused with pronounce
Pronounce is a verb meaning to say a word aloud, while pronunciation is a noun naming the way a word is pronounced.
Pronounce means to say or formally declare, whereas propound means to put forward a theory, doctrine, or proposal for consideration.