How to pronounce moonshine
Say it like MOON-shyne. Moonshine has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MOON).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce moonshine. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MOON
- shyne
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Moonshine pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MOONSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- shyneGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of moonshine
American and British speakers say moonshine in essentially the same way: /ˈmunˌʃaɪn/ in the US and /ˈmuːnˌʃaɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: MOON-shyne.
What does moonshine mean?
- The light of the moon.
- The light reflected off Earth's Moon.
- The light reflected off a moon.
- To make homemade (especially, illicit) alcohol, especially distilled spirits.“His grandfather started to moonshine when things got really bad in 1933; when he got caught moonshining, he did a bit of time.”
- To make (an ingredient) into such a drink.
Where does moonshine come from?
From Middle English mone schyne, mone-schyne, moone shone; equivalent to moon + shine.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying moonshine
How do you pronounce moonshine?
Say MOON-shyne. The American pronunciation is /ˈmunˌʃaɪn/. In British English it is /ˈmuːnˌʃaɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in moonshine?
Moonshine has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MOON). Broken into parts: MOON · shyne.
Do Americans and Brits say moonshine the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmunˌʃaɪn/ and the British form is /ˈmuːnˌʃaɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.