How to pronounce penury
Say it like PEN-yuh-ree. Penury has three 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 penury. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PEN
- yuh
- ree
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Penury 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.
- yuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- reeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of penury
American and British speakers say penury in essentially the same way: /ˈpɛnjəri/ in the US and /ˈpɛnjʊri/ in the UK.
British respelling: PEN-yuu-ree.
What does penury mean?
- Extreme need or want; destitution, poverty; (countable) an instance of this.
- Often followed by of: a lack of something; a dearth, a scarcity.
Where does penury come from?
From Late Middle English penuri, penurie (“destitution, need, poverty; dearth, lack, scarcity”), borrowed from Latin pēnūria (“need, scarcity, want”) + Middle English -i, -ie (suffix forming abstract and collective nouns); further etymology
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying penury
How do you pronounce penury?
Say PEN-yuh-ree. The American pronunciation is /ˈpɛnjəri/. In British English it is /ˈpɛnjʊri/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in penury?
Penury has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PEN). Broken into parts: PEN · yuh · ree.
Do Americans and Brits say penury the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpɛnjəri/ and the British form is /ˈpɛnjʊri/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.