How to pronounce ceremony
Say it like SER-uh-moh-nee. Ceremony has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ceremony. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SER
- uh
- moh
- nee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ceremony pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- mohGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- neeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of ceremony
American and British speakers say ceremony in essentially the same way: /ˈsɛrəˌmoʊni/ in the US and /ˈsɛrɪməni/ in the UK.
British respelling: SER-ih-muh-nee.
What does ceremony mean?
- a formal event performed on a special occasion“a ceremony commemorating Pearl Harbor”
- any activity that is performed in an especially solemn elaborate or formal way“the ceremony of smelling the cork and tasting the wine”“he makes a ceremony of addressing his golf ball”
- the proper or conventional behavior on some solemn occasion“an inaugural ceremony”
Where does ceremony come from?
From Middle English cerymonye, from Latin caerimonia or caeremonia, later often cerimonia (“sacredness, reverence, a sacred rite”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying ceremony
How do you pronounce ceremony?
Say SER-uh-moh-nee. The American pronunciation is /ˈsɛrəˌmoʊni/. In British English it is /ˈsɛrɪməni/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ceremony?
Ceremony has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SER). Broken into parts: SER · uh · moh · nee.
Do Americans and Brits say ceremony the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsɛrəˌmoʊni/ and the British form is /ˈsɛrɪməni/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.