How to pronounce progenitor
Say it like proh-JEN-ih-ter. Progenitor has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (JEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce progenitor. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- proh
- JEN
- ih
- ter
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Progenitor pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- prohKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- JENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- terKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of progenitor
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
- Americans usually soften the t in the middle into a quick d-like tap; British speakers keep a crisp t.
British respelling: proh-JEN-ih-tuh.
What does progenitor mean?
- A forefather, any of a person's direct ancestors.
- A person from whom one or more people (dynasty, tribe, nation…) are descended.“Abraham, alias Ibrahim, is the presumed progenitor of both the Jewish and Arab peoples.”
- An ancestral form of a species.
Where does progenitor come from?
From Middle English progenitour, from Anglo-Norman progenitour, Middle French progeniteur (Modern French progéniteur), and their etymon Latin prōgenitor, from prōgenitus, perfect participle of prōgignere (“to beget”), itself from prō- (“for
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying progenitor
How do you pronounce progenitor?
Say proh-JEN-ih-ter. The American pronunciation is /proʊˈdʒɛnɪtɚ/. In British English it is /prəʊˈdʒɛnɪtə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in progenitor?
Progenitor has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (JEN). Broken into parts: proh · JEN · ih · ter.
Is progenitor pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /prəʊˈdʒɛnɪtə/ (proh-JEN-ih-tuh).