How to pronounce leonine
Say it like LEE-uh-nyne. Leonine has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce leonine. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LEE
- uh
- nyne
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Leonine pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- nyneGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of leonine
American and British speakers say leonine in essentially the same way: /ˈliəˌnaɪn/ in the US and /ˈliːənaɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: LEE-uh-nyne.
What does leonine mean?
- Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a lion; lionlike.
- Of a facies (“a person's facial features”): resembling those of a lion as a result of some disease, especially a form of leprosy which causes leontiasis (“a medical condition characterized by an overgrowth of the cranial and facial bones”); also, of leprosy: causing a lionlike facies.“leonine facies”
- Of or pertaining to one of the popes named Leo; specifically (in Leonine City), to Pope Leo IV (r. 847–855) who ordered the building of a wall around Vatican Hill to protect what is now Vatican City, or (in Leonine Prayers) to Pope Leo XIV (r. 2025–present).
- Being or relating to a kind of medieval Latin verse, generally alternative hexameter and pentameter, with rhyming at the middle and end of a line (that is, internal rhyme); also (by extension), of or relating to modern verse having internal rhyme.“leonine rhyme”
- Synonym of Leonine verse (“a kind of medieval Latin verse, generally alternative hexameter and pentameter, with rhyming at the middle and end of a line (that is, internal rhyme)”).
Questions about saying leonine
How do you pronounce leonine?
Say LEE-uh-nyne. The American pronunciation is /ˈliəˌnaɪn/. In British English it is /ˈliːənaɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in leonine?
Leonine has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LEE). Broken into parts: LEE · uh · nyne.
Do Americans and Brits say leonine the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈliəˌnaɪn/ and the British form is /ˈliːənaɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.