How to pronounce poignant
Say it like POY-nyunt. Poignant has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (POY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce poignant. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- POY
- nyunt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Poignant pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- POYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
- nyuntKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of poignant
American and British speakers say poignant in essentially the same way: /ˈpɔɪnjənt/ in the US and /ˈpɔɪnjənt/ in the UK.
British respelling: POY-nyunt.
What does poignant mean?
- Neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant.“A poignant reply will garner more credence than hours of blown smoke.”
- Evoking strong mental sensation, to the point of distress; emotionally moving.“Flipping through his high school yearbook evoked many a poignant memory of yesteryear.”
- Piquant, pungent.
Where does poignant come from?
From Middle English poynaunt, poynant, borrowed from Anglo-Norman puignant, poynaunt etc., present participle of poindre (“to prick”), from Latin pungō (“prick”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying poignant
How do you pronounce poignant?
Say POY-nyunt. The American pronunciation is /ˈpɔɪnjənt/. In British English it is /ˈpɔɪnjənt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in poignant?
Poignant has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (POY). Broken into parts: POY · nyunt.
Do Americans and Brits say poignant the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpɔɪnjənt/ and the British form is /ˈpɔɪnjənt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.