How to pronounce supine
Say it like soo-PYNE. Supine has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (PYNE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce supine. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- soo
- PYNE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Supine pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- sooGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- PYNESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of supine
- The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 2, while British speakers stress syllable 1.
- British speakers add a light "y" sound before the "oo" (as in "tyoon" for tune).
British respelling: SYOO-pyne.
What does supine mean?
- Lying on its back.
- Of the hand, forearm or foot, turned facing toward the body or upward: with the thumb outward (palm up), or with the big toe raised relative to the little toe.
- Reluctant to take action due to indifference or moral weakness; apathetic or passive towards something.“Such corruption is commonplace in a world of supine civil servants and underfunded ministries.”
- In Latin and other languages: a type of verbal noun used in the ablative and accusative cases, which shares the same stem as the passive participle.
- In Swedish, Faroese, Icelandic and Old Norse: a verb form that combines with an inflection of ha/hafa/hava to form the present perfect and pluperfect tenses.
- (obsolete terminology) The 'to'-prefixed infinitive in English or other Germanic languages, so named because the infinitive was regarded as a verbal noun and the 'to'-prefixed form of it was seen as the dative form of the verbal noun; the full infinitive.
Where does supine come from?
The noun is from Late Middle English supin (“supine of a Latin verb”) or Middle French supin (“(grammar) supine”), from Latin supīnum, (ellipsis of supīnum verbum (“supine verb”)), from supīnus; further etymology above.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with supine
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of supine.
Questions about saying supine
How do you pronounce supine?
Say soo-PYNE. The American pronunciation is /ˌsuˈpaɪn/. In British English it is /ˈsjuːpaɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in supine?
Supine has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (PYNE). Broken into parts: soo · PYNE.
Is supine pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 2, while British speakers stress syllable 1. The British form is /ˈsjuːpaɪn/ (SYOO-pyne).