How to pronounce pregnant
Say it like PREG-nunt. Pregnant has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PREG).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce pregnant. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PREG
- nunt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pregnant pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PREGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- nuntKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of pregnant
American and British speakers say pregnant in essentially the same way: /ˈprɛɡnənt/ in the US and /ˈprɛɡnənt/ in the UK.
British respelling: PREG-nunt.
What does pregnant mean?
- carrying developing offspring within the body or being about to produce new life
- rich in significance or implication“a meaning look”“a significant silence”
- filled with or attended with“words fraught with meaning”“an incident fraught with danger”
Where does pregnant come from?
From Middle English preignant, from Old French preignant, pregnant, also prenant (compare archaic Modern French prégnant), and their source, Latin praegnāns (“pregnant”), probably from prae- (“pre-”) + *gnāscī, an archaic form of nāscī (“to be born”).
Questions about saying pregnant
How do you pronounce pregnant?
Say PREG-nunt. The American pronunciation is /ˈprɛɡnənt/. In British English it is /ˈprɛɡnənt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pregnant?
Pregnant has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PREG). Broken into parts: PREG · nunt.
Do Americans and Brits say pregnant the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈprɛɡnənt/ and the British form is /ˈprɛɡnənt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.