pronounce
gb/pɹənˈaʊns/ us/pɹənˈaʊns/
A2
English
~ 6900
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
say the sounds of a word
To say a word, name, or sound in the correct way.
Usage pattern:
to pronounce [word/name/sound]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "pronounce" with "spell" and say *"How do you spell this word?"* when they mean *"How do you pronounce this word?"*. They also often write the related noun incorrectly as *"pronounciation"*; the correct noun is "pronunciation" (without the second "o").
Synonyms
say (More general; does not focus on correct sounds like "pronounce" does.)
|
articulate (Slightly more formal; often stresses speaking clearly, not just a single word.)
Antonyms
mispronounce (Specifically means to pronounce a word in the wrong way.)
Collocations
pronounce a word
|pronounce your name
|correctly pronounce
|hard to pronounce
|pronounce it wrong
|pronounce each syllable
Themes
language
|communication
|education
Examples
- How do you pronounce your last name?
- I still can’t pronounce this German word correctly.
- The teacher asked the students to pronounce each syllable clearly.
- She pronounced the French phrase so well that everyone was impressed.
- He hesitated because he didn’t know how to pronounce the city’s name.
Learner examples
- Please pronounce the word slowly.
- Can you pronounce this name for me?
- I often pronounce this English sound wrong.
- He cannot pronounce the letter "r" clearly.
- She learns new words and tries to pronounce them every day.
Verb
formal
B2
action
2
formally declare or state something
To say something in an official or very serious way, often as a final decision.
Usage pattern:
to pronounce [someone/something] [noun/adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "announce" in legal or medical contexts, saying *"The doctor announced him dead"* or *"The judge announced the man guilty"*. In these formal contexts, "pronounced him dead" or "pronounced him guilty" is more natural and idiomatic.
Synonyms
declare (Very close in meaning; slightly broader and used in more everyday contexts.)
|
announce (Focuses on making something known publicly, and can be less formal than the judicial or medical uses of "pronounce".)
Antonyms
retract (Means to take back a statement or decision that was previously pronounced or declared.)
Collocations
pronounce sentence
|pronounce someone dead
|pronounce someone guilty
|pronounce them husband and wife
|pronounce a verdict
|officially pronounce
Themes
law
|medicine
|relationships
|official
|communication
Examples
- The judge pronounced sentence on the defendant after a short pause.
- The doctor pronounced her dead at 3:17 a.m.
- At the end of the ceremony, the officiant pronounced them husband and wife.
- The court pronounced the new law unconstitutional.
- Health officials pronounced the area safe after several tests.
Learner examples
- The doctor pronounced the patient dead.
- The judge pronounced him guilty.
- The priest pronounced them husband and wife.
- The city was pronounced safe after the fire.
- The president pronounced the talks a success.
Verb
formal
C1
action
3
state an authoritative opinion
To give your serious opinion or decision about something, often as an expert or authority.
Usage pattern:
to pronounce on [issue/topic]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that this sense is mainly used in formal contexts and often with the preposition "on" (e.g. "pronounce on the issue"). Using it in casual speech, like *"I won’t pronounce on dinner tonight"*, sounds unnatural; in everyday English, "give my opinion" or "decide" would be more appropriate.
Synonyms
pronounce on (Multi-word form that highlights the typical preposition used with this sense.)
|
pass judgment (Also formal; emphasizes the evaluative or critical nature of the opinion.)
Antonyms
withhold (As in "withhold judgment"; means not to give or state an opinion.)
Collocations
pronounce on the issue
|pronounce on the matter
|pronounce on the question
|pronounce on the legality
|refuse to pronounce
|pronounce in favor of
Themes
opinions
|politics
|media
|communication
Examples
- The committee will pronounce on the proposal next week.
- Experts declined to pronounce on the safety of the new drug until more data arrived.
- He was careful not to pronounce on matters outside his field.
- Critics quickly pronounced the film a modern classic.
- The ethics board is expected to pronounce on the case by Friday.
Learner examples
- The court will soon pronounce on this case.
- Experts will not pronounce on the problem yet.
- She refused to pronounce on the plan.
- Many people online quickly pronounced the project a failure.
- Only the board can pronounce on this question.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pronounce
IPA
GB/pɹənˈaʊns/
US/pɹənˈaʊns/
Syllables & stress
pro - nounce (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (nounce)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: pronounce
- 3rd Person Singular: pronounces
- Present Participle: pronouncing
- Past: pronounced
Word family
Forms
pronounces
verb
pronouncing
verb
pronounced
verb
Core family
pronunciation
noun B1
Related words
pronounceable
adjective
mispronounce
verb
mispronunciation
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unpronounceable
adjective
Expressions
pronounce on
1/pɹənˈaʊns ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
formal
give a formal opinion on something
To give a serious or official opinion or decision about something.
Examples
- The court will pronounce on the case next month.
- Experts refused to pronounce on the causes of the accident until the investigation was complete.
pronounce sentence
1/pɹənˈaʊns sˈɛntəns/
fixed phrase
formal
officially state a legal punishment
For a judge to say officially in court what a criminal’s punishment will be.
Examples
- The judge will pronounce sentence after hearing the final arguments.
- She showed no emotion as the court pronounced sentence.
pronounce someone dead
1/pɹənˈaʊns sˈʌmwˌʌn dˈɛd/
fixed phrase
officially declare someone dead
When a doctor or other authority says in an official way that a person is dead.
Examples
- The patient was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
- Paramedics tried to revive him, but the doctor pronounced him dead at the scene.
pronounce someone husband and wife
1/pɹənˈaʊns sˈʌmwˌʌn hˈʌzbənd ˈænd wˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
formal
officially declare a couple married
To say in a formal wedding ceremony that two people are now married.
Examples
- By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
- After the vows, the officiant pronounced them husband and wife to loud applause.