How to pronounce ruminate
Say it like ROO-muh-nut. Ruminate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (ROO).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ruminate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ROO
- muh
- nut
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ruminate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ROOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- muhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- nutKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of ruminate
American and British speakers say ruminate in essentially the same way: /ˈrumənət/ in the US and /ˈruːmɪnət/ in the UK.
British respelling: ROO-mih-nut.
What does ruminate mean?
- To chew cud. (Said of ruminants.) Involves regurgitating partially digested food from the rumen.“A camel will ruminate just as a cow will.”
- To meditate or reflect.“I didn't answer right away because I needed to ruminate first.”
- To meditate or ponder over; to muse on.
- Having a hard albumen penetrated by irregular channels filled with softer matter, as the nutmeg and the seeds of the North American papaw.“a ruminate endosperm”
Where does ruminate come from?
First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin rūminātus, perfect active participle of rūminor (“to chew the cud, turn over in the mind”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from rūmen (“the throat, gullet”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), itself of uncertain origin.
Questions about saying ruminate
How do you pronounce ruminate?
Say ROO-muh-nut. The American pronunciation is /ˈrumənət/. In British English it is /ˈruːmɪnət/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ruminate?
Ruminate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (ROO). Broken into parts: ROO · muh · nut.
Do Americans and Brits say ruminate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈrumənət/ and the British form is /ˈruːmɪnət/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.