How to pronounce finagle
Say it like fih-NAY-gul. Finagle has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce finagle. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- fih
- NAY
- gul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Finagle pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- fihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- NAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- gulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of finagle
American and British speakers say finagle in essentially the same way: /fɪˈneɪɡəl/ in the US and /fɪˈneɪɡəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: fih-NAY-gul.
What does finagle mean?
- To obtain, arrange, or achieve by indirect, complicated and/or intensive efforts.“finagle a day off work”
- To obtain, arrange, or achieve by deceitful methods, by trickery.“finagled his way out of a ticket by pretending to be on the way to a funeral, distraught”
- To cheat or swindle; to use crafty, deceitful methods. (often with "out of" preceding the object)“shady stockbrokers who finagle their clients out of fortunes.”
Where does finagle come from?
Americanism from the 1920s, perhaps combining an alteration of fainaigue (“to renege”) with the suffix + -le (“frequentative”), possibly influenced by inveigle; compare haggle.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with finagle
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of finagle.
Questions about saying finagle
How do you pronounce finagle?
Say fih-NAY-gul. The American pronunciation is /fɪˈneɪɡəl/. In British English it is /fɪˈneɪɡəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in finagle?
Finagle has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAY). Broken into parts: fih · NAY · gul.
Do Americans and Brits say finagle the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /fɪˈneɪɡəl/ and the British form is /fɪˈneɪɡəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.