How to pronounce sexagenarian

Q: How do you pronounce sexagenarian?

Say sek-suh-jih-NER-ee-un. The American pronunciation is /ˌsɛksədʒɪˈnɛriən/. In British English it is /ˌsɛksədʒɪˈnɛəriən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.

Say it like sek-suh-jih-NER-ee-un. Sexagenarian has six syllables, and the main stress falls on the fourth one (NER).

VoiceSpeed

Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sexagenarian. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.

US American/ˌsɛksədʒɪˈnɛriən/sek-suh-jih-NER-ee-un

UK British/ˌsɛksədʒɪˈnɛəriən/sek-suh-jih-NAIR-ee-un

Main stress
Lighter stress
Unstressed

Sexagenarian pronunciation, sound by sound

Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.

sekGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
suhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
jihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
NERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.

American vs British pronunciation of sexagenarian

American and British speakers say sexagenarian in essentially the same way: /ˌsɛksədʒɪˈnɛriən/ in the US and /ˌsɛksədʒɪˈnɛəriən/ in the UK.

British respelling: sek-suh-jih-NAIR-ee-un.

What does sexagenarian mean?

noun

Synonym of sixtysomething: a person between 60 and 69 years old.

adjective

Of or related to sixtysomethings.

Where does sexagenarian come from?

From Latin sexāgēnārius (“containing 60”) + -an (forming adjectives and representative nouns), either directly or via French sexagénaire, from Latin sexāgēnus (“60 each”) + -ārius (“-ary”), from sexāgintā (“six tens, 60”).

Words that rhyme with sexagenarian

Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sexagenarian.

Questions about saying sexagenarian

How do you pronounce sexagenarian?

Say sek-suh-jih-NER-ee-un. The American pronunciation is /ˌsɛksədʒɪˈnɛriən/. In British English it is /ˌsɛksədʒɪˈnɛəriən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.

How many syllables are in sexagenarian?

Sexagenarian has six syllables, and the main stress falls on the fourth one (NER). Broken into parts: sek · suh · jih · NER · ee · un.

Do Americans and Brits say sexagenarian the same way?

Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌsɛksədʒɪˈnɛriən/ and the British form is /ˌsɛksədʒɪˈnɛəriən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.