How to pronounce provincial
Say it like pruh-VIN-shul. Provincial has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VIN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce provincial. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- pruh
- VIN
- shul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Provincial pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- pruhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- VINSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- shulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of provincial
American and British speakers say provincial in essentially the same way: /prəˈvɪnʃəl/ in the US and /prəˈvɪnʃəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: pruh-VIN-shul.
What does provincial mean?
- of or associated with a province“provincial government”
- characteristic of the provinces or their people“deeply provincial and conformist”“in that well-educated company I felt uncomfortably provincial”
- (Roman Catholic Church) an official in charge of an ecclesiastical province acting under the superior general of a religious order“the general of the Jesuits receives monthly reports from the provincials”
- a country person
Where does provincial come from?
From Middle English provincial, from Old French provincial, from Latin prōvinciālis (“of a province”), equivalent to province + -ial.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying provincial
How do you pronounce provincial?
Say pruh-VIN-shul. The American pronunciation is /prəˈvɪnʃəl/. In British English it is /prəˈvɪnʃəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in provincial?
Provincial has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VIN). Broken into parts: pruh · VIN · shul.
Do Americans and Brits say provincial the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /prəˈvɪnʃəl/ and the British form is /prəˈvɪnʃəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.