How to pronounce shenanigans
Say it like shuh-NAN-ih-gunz. Shenanigans 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 shenanigans. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- shuh
- NAN
- ih
- gunz
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shenanigans 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.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- gunzKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of shenanigans
American and British speakers say shenanigans in essentially the same way: /ʃəˈnænɪɡənz/ in the US and /ʃɪˈnænɪɡənz/ in the UK.
British respelling: shih-NAN-ih-gunz.
What does shenanigans mean?
- Mischievous play, especially by children.“Shanti and Tom are playing noisily upstairs again. They’re up to their usual shenanigans.”
- Deceitful tricks; trickery; games.“You should learn to spot their shenanigans and avoid being fooled.”
- Strange, unusual, weird, or wacky occurrences.
- third-person singular simple present indicative of shenanigan How to pronounce shenanigan
Where does shenanigans come from?
From shenanigan + -s.
Questions about saying shenanigans
How do you pronounce shenanigans?
Say shuh-NAN-ih-gunz. The American pronunciation is /ʃəˈnænɪɡənz/. In British English it is /ʃɪˈnænɪɡənz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shenanigans?
Shenanigans has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAN). Broken into parts: shuh · NAN · ih · gunz.
Do Americans and Brits say shenanigans the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃəˈnænɪɡənz/ and the British form is /ʃɪˈnænɪɡənz/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.