How to pronounce defenestration
Say it like dee-fen-uh-STRAY-shun. Defenestration has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the fourth one (STRAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce defenestration. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dee
- fen
- uh
- STRAY
- shun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Defenestration pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- deeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- fenGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- STRAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- shunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of defenestration
American and British speakers say defenestration in essentially the same way: /diˌfɛnəˈstreɪʃən/ in the US and /dɪˌfɛnɪˈstreɪʃən/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-fen-ih-STRAY-shun.
What does defenestration mean?
- The act of throwing something or especially someone out of a window, especially lethally.
- The high-profile removal of a person from an organization.
- to eliminate from a contest or sport championship
Where does defenestration come from?
German Fenstersturz. The verb defenestrate was formed later.
Words that rhyme with defenestration
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of defenestration.
Questions about saying defenestration
How do you pronounce defenestration?
Say dee-fen-uh-STRAY-shun. The American pronunciation is /diˌfɛnəˈstreɪʃən/. In British English it is /dɪˌfɛnɪˈstreɪʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in defenestration?
Defenestration has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the fourth one (STRAY). Broken into parts: dee · fen · uh · STRAY · shun.
Do Americans and Brits say defenestration the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /diˌfɛnəˈstreɪʃən/ and the British form is /dɪˌfɛnɪˈstreɪʃən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.