How to pronounce prehensile
Say it like pree-HEN-sul. Prehensile has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (HEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce prehensile. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- pree
- HEN
- sul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Prehensile pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- preeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- HENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- sulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of prehensile
American and British speakers say prehensile in essentially the same way: /priˈhɛnsəl/ in the US and /prɪˈhɛnsaɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: prih-HEN-syle.
What does prehensile mean?
- Able to take hold of and clasp objects; adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around an object.“Some monkeys have prehensile tails which they use to pick things up.”
Where does prehensile come from?
Borrowed from French préhensile, from Latin perfect passive participle prehēnsus, from prehendō (“grasp, seize”) + adjective suffix -ile, from Latin -ilis.
Words that rhyme with prehensile
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of prehensile.
Questions about saying prehensile
How do you pronounce prehensile?
Say pree-HEN-sul. The American pronunciation is /priˈhɛnsəl/. In British English it is /prɪˈhɛnsaɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in prehensile?
Prehensile has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (HEN). Broken into parts: pree · HEN · sul.
Do Americans and Brits say prehensile the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /priˈhɛnsəl/ and the British form is /prɪˈhɛnsaɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.