How to pronounce gnomon
Say it like NOH-mon. Gnomon has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (NOH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce gnomon. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NOH
- mon
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gnomon pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- monGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of gnomon
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: NOH-mon.
What does gnomon mean?
- An object such as a pillar or a rod that is used to tell time by the shadow it casts when the sun shines on it, especially the pointer on a sundial.
- An object such as a pillar used by an observer to calculate the meridian altitude of the sun (that is, the altitude of the sun when it reaches the observer's meridian), for the purpose of determining the observer's latitude.
- The index of the hour circle of a globe.
Where does gnomon come from?
The geometry sense (sense 4) is from the resemblance of the plane figure to a carpenter’s square.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying gnomon
How do you pronounce gnomon?
Say NOH-mon. The American pronunciation is /ˈnoʊˌmɑn/. In British English it is /ˈnəʊˌmɒn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gnomon?
Gnomon has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (NOH). Broken into parts: NOH · mon.
Is gnomon pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /ˈnəʊˌmɒn/ (NOH-mon).