How to pronounce penurious
Say it like puh-NYUUR-ee-us. Penurious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NYUUR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce penurious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- puh
- NYUUR
- ee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Penurious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- puhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- NYUURSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of penurious
American and British speakers say penurious in essentially the same way: /pəˈnjʊriəs/ in the US and /pəˈnjʊriəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: puh-NYUUR-ee-us.
What does penurious mean?
- Miserly; excessively cheap.“The old man died a penurious wretch; eighty-thousand dollars in the mattress and as many holes in the roof.”
- Not bountiful; thin; scant.“The penurious stew would have been more accurately labeled broth.”
- Impoverished; wanting for money.“The poor penurious horde, naught in the cooking pot and naught in the belly.”
Where does penurious come from?
From Medieval Latin pēnūriōsus.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with penurious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of penurious.
Questions about saying penurious
How do you pronounce penurious?
Say puh-NYUUR-ee-us. The American pronunciation is /pəˈnjʊriəs/. In British English it is /pəˈnjʊriəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in penurious?
Penurious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NYUUR). Broken into parts: puh · NYUUR · ee · us.
Do Americans and Brits say penurious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pəˈnjʊriəs/ and the British form is /pəˈnjʊriəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.