How to pronounce pugnacious
Say it like pug-NAY-shus. Pugnacious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce pugnacious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- pug
- NAY
- shus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pugnacious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- pugKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
- NAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- shusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of pugnacious
American and British speakers say pugnacious in essentially the same way: /pʌɡˈneɪʃəs/ in the US and /pʌɡˈneɪʃəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: pug-NAY-shus.
What does pugnacious mean?
- Naturally aggressive or hostile; combative; belligerent; bellicose.
Where does pugnacious come from?
From the stem of Latin pugnāx + -ous, from pugnō (“to fight”), from pugnus (“fist”).
Words that rhyme with pugnacious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pugnacious.
Questions about saying pugnacious
How do you pronounce pugnacious?
Say pug-NAY-shus. The American pronunciation is /pʌɡˈneɪʃəs/. In British English it is /pʌɡˈneɪʃəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pugnacious?
Pugnacious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAY). Broken into parts: pug · NAY · shus.
Do Americans and Brits say pugnacious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pʌɡˈneɪʃəs/ and the British form is /pʌɡˈneɪʃəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.