How to pronounce shenanigan
Say it like shuh-NAN-uh-gun. Shenanigan has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce shenanigan. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- shuh
- NAN
- uh
- gun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shenanigan pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- shuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- NANSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- gunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of shenanigan
American and British speakers say shenanigan in essentially the same way: /ʃəˈnænəɡən/ in the US and /ʃɪˈnænɪɡən/ in the UK.
British respelling: shih-NAN-ih-gun.
What does shenanigan mean?
- singular of shenanigans: a deceitful confidence trick; also, an act of mischief; a prank, a trick; an act of mischievous play, especially by children. How to pronounce shenanigans“I spotted his next shenanigan, saw it coming, and so avoided being fooled.”
- Dishonest, underhanded, or unscrupulous activities or behavior; skulduggery, trickery; also, mischievous behavior or play; high jinks.
- To play a deceitful confidence trick on (someone); to swindle, to trick; also, to carry out an act of mischief on (someone); to prank.
- To play a deceitful confidence trick; also, to carry out an act of mischief.
Where does shenanigan come from?
The verb is derived from the noun.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying shenanigan
How do you pronounce shenanigan?
Say shuh-NAN-uh-gun. The American pronunciation is /ʃəˈnænəɡən/. In British English it is /ʃɪˈnænɪɡən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shenanigan?
Shenanigan has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAN). Broken into parts: shuh · NAN · uh · gun.
Do Americans and Brits say shenanigan the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃəˈnænəɡən/ and the British form is /ʃɪˈnænɪɡən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.