How to pronounce deny
Say it like dih-NY. Deny has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce deny. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- NY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Deny pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- NYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of deny
American and British speakers say deny in essentially the same way: /dɪˈnaɪ/ in the US and /dɪˈnaɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-NY.
What does deny mean?
- declare untrue; contradict“He denied the allegations”“She denied that she had taken money”
- refuse to accept or believe“He denied his fatal illness”
- refuse to grant, as of a petition or request“The dean denied the students' request for more physics courses”“the prisoners were denied the right to exercise for more than 2 hours a day”
Where does deny come from?
From Middle English denyen, from Old French denoier (“to deny, to repudiate”) (French dénier), from Latin denegare (“to deny, to refuse”), from de- (“away”) and negare (“to refuse”), the latter ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *né (“no, not”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with deny
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of deny.
Questions about saying deny
How do you pronounce deny?
Say dih-NY. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈnaɪ/. In British English it is /dɪˈnaɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in deny?
Deny has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NY). Broken into parts: dih · NY.
Do Americans and Brits say deny the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪˈnaɪ/ and the British form is /dɪˈnaɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.