How to pronounce sanctimonious
Say it like sangk-tih-MOH-nee-us. Sanctimonious has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (MOH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sanctimonious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- sangk
- tih
- MOH
- nee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sanctimonious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- sangkGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- tihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- MOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- neeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of sanctimonious
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: sangk-tih-MOH-nee-us.
What does sanctimonious mean?
- Making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically pious.
Where does sanctimonious come from?
From sanctimony + -ous.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with sanctimonious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sanctimonious.
Questions about saying sanctimonious
How do you pronounce sanctimonious?
Say sangk-tih-MOH-nee-us. The American pronunciation is /ˌsæŋktɪˈmoʊniəs/. In British English it is /ˌsæŋktɪˈməʊniəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sanctimonious?
Sanctimonious has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (MOH). Broken into parts: sangk · tih · MOH · nee · us.
Is sanctimonious pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /ˌsæŋktɪˈməʊniəs/ (sangk-tih-MOH-nee-us).