How to pronounce bankrupt
Say it like BANG-krupt. Bankrupt has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BANG).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bankrupt. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BANG
- krupt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bankrupt pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BANGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- kruptKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of bankrupt
American and British speakers say bankrupt in essentially the same way: /ˈbæŋkrəpt/ in the US and /ˈbæŋkrəpt/ in the UK.
British respelling: BANG-krupt.
What does bankrupt mean?
- reduce to bankruptcy“My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!”“The slump in the financial markets smashed him”
- financially ruined“a bankrupt company”“the company went belly-up”
- someone who has insufficient assets to cover their debts
Where does bankrupt come from?
Partial calque of Italian bancarotta (literally “a broken bench”), from banca (“bank”, literally “bench”) + rotta (“broken, rupted”), which refers to an out-of-business bank, having its bench physically broken, signifying that the working m
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying bankrupt
How do you pronounce bankrupt?
Say BANG-krupt. The American pronunciation is /ˈbæŋkrəpt/. In British English it is /ˈbæŋkrəpt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bankrupt?
Bankrupt has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BANG). Broken into parts: BANG · krupt.
Do Americans and Brits say bankrupt the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈbæŋkrəpt/ and the British form is /ˈbæŋkrəpt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.