How to pronounce peanut
Say it like PEE-nut. Peanut has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce peanut. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PEE
- nut
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Peanut pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- nutKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of peanut
American and British speakers say peanut in essentially the same way: /ˈpinət/ in the US and /ˈpiːˌnʌt/ in the UK.
British respelling: PEE-nuht.
What does peanut mean?
- underground pod of the peanut vine
- widely cultivated American plant cultivated in tropical and warm regions; showy yellow flowers on stalks that bend over to the soil so that seed pods ripen underground
- a young child who is small for his age
- of little importance or influence or power; of minor status“a minor, insignificant bureaucrat”“peanut politicians”
Where does peanut come from?
From pea + nut, perhaps a folk etymology of pinda, pinder (still found in Southern US dialects).
Questions about saying peanut
How do you pronounce peanut?
Say PEE-nut. The American pronunciation is /ˈpinət/. In British English it is /ˈpiːˌnʌt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in peanut?
Peanut has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PEE). Broken into parts: PEE · nut.
Do Americans and Brits say peanut the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpinət/ and the British form is /ˈpiːˌnʌt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.