How to pronounce sentinel
Say it like SEN-tuh-nul. Sentinel has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sentinel. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SEN
- tuh
- nul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sentinel pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- tuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- nulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of sentinel
American and British speakers say sentinel in essentially the same way: /ˈsɛntənəl/ in the US and /ˈsɛntɪnəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SEN-tih-nul.
What does sentinel mean?
- A sentry, watch, or guard.
- A unique value recognized by a computer program for processing in a special way, or marking the end of a set of data.“The <xmp> tag is a sentinel that suspends web-page processing and displays the subsequent text literally”
- A sentinel crab.
- To watch over as a guard.“He sentineled the north wall.”
- To post a guard for.“He sentineled the north wall with just one man.”
Where does sentinel come from?
First attested in the 1570s from Middle French sentinelle (“watch or guard kept by a soldier”), from Old Italian sentinella, probably from sentina + -ella, from sentire (“perceive, watch, hear”), from sentiō (“feel, perceive by the senses”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying sentinel
How do you pronounce sentinel?
Say SEN-tuh-nul. The American pronunciation is /ˈsɛntənəl/. In British English it is /ˈsɛntɪnəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sentinel?
Sentinel has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SEN). Broken into parts: SEN · tuh · nul.
Do Americans and Brits say sentinel the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsɛntənəl/ and the British form is /ˈsɛntɪnəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.