How to pronounce bankruptcy
Say it like BANG-krup-see. Bankruptcy has three 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 bankruptcy. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BANG
- krup
- see
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bankruptcy 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.
- krupKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- seeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of bankruptcy
American and British speakers say bankruptcy in essentially the same way: /ˈbæŋkrəpsi/ in the US and /ˈbæŋkrʌptsi/ in the UK.
British respelling: BANG-krupt-see.
What does bankruptcy mean?
- a state of complete lack of some abstract property“spiritual bankruptcy”“moral bankruptcy”
- inability to discharge all your debts as they come due“the company had to declare bankruptcy”“fraudulent loans led to the failure of many banks”
- a legal process intended to insure equality among the creditors of a corporation declared to be insolvent
Where does bankruptcy come from?
From bankrupt + -cy, replacing earlier bankruptship.
Questions about saying bankruptcy
How do you pronounce bankruptcy?
Say BANG-krup-see. The American pronunciation is /ˈbæŋkrəpsi/. In British English it is /ˈbæŋkrʌptsi/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bankruptcy?
Bankruptcy has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BANG). Broken into parts: BANG · krup · see.
Do Americans and Brits say bankruptcy the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈbæŋkrəpsi/ and the British form is /ˈbæŋkrʌptsi/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.