How to pronounce penchant
Say it like PEN-chunt. Penchant has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce penchant. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PEN
- chunt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Penchant pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- chuntKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of penchant
American and British speakers say penchant in essentially the same way: /ˈpɛntʃənt/ in the US and /ˈpɒnʃɒn/ in the UK.
British respelling: PON-shon.
What does penchant mean?
- A taste, liking, or inclination for (something).“He has a penchant for fine wine.”
- A card game resembling bezique.
- In the game of penchant, any queen and jack of different suits held at the same time.
Where does penchant come from?
Unadapted borrowing from French penchant, present participle of pencher (“to tilt, to lean”), from Middle French, from Old French pengier (“to tilt, be out of line”), from Vulgar Latin *pendicāre, a derivative of Latin pendere (“to hang”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with penchant
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of penchant.
Questions about saying penchant
How do you pronounce penchant?
Say PEN-chunt. The American pronunciation is /ˈpɛntʃənt/. In British English it is /ˈpɒnʃɒn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in penchant?
Penchant has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PEN). Broken into parts: PEN · chunt.
Do Americans and Brits say penchant the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpɛntʃənt/ and the British form is /ˈpɒnʃɒn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.