How to pronounce feminine
Say it like FEM-uh-nun. Feminine has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FEM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce feminine. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FEM
- uh
- nun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Feminine pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FEMSay 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.
- nunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of feminine
American and British speakers say feminine in essentially the same way: /ˈfɛmənən/ in the US and /ˈfɛmɪnɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: FEM-ih-nin.
What does feminine mean?
- associated with women and not with men“feminine intuition”
- of grammatical gender
- befitting or characteristic of a woman especially a mature woman“womanly virtues of gentleness and compassion”
- a gender that refers chiefly (but not exclusively) to females or to objects classified as female
Where does feminine come from?
From Middle English feminine, femynyne, femynyn, from Old French feminin, feminine, from Latin fēminīnus, from fēmina (“woman”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-eh₂ (“(the one) nursing, breastfeeding”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying feminine
How do you pronounce feminine?
Say FEM-uh-nun. The American pronunciation is /ˈfɛmənən/. In British English it is /ˈfɛmɪnɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in feminine?
Feminine has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FEM). Broken into parts: FEM · uh · nun.
Do Americans and Brits say feminine the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfɛmənən/ and the British form is /ˈfɛmɪnɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.