Meaning & use
Penult
Last updated
The next-to-last syllable of a word.
See it in a sentence
In the word 'banana,' the penult is the second syllable, 'na.'
Linguists often mark stress patterns by referring to the penult and antepenult.
A note on using this word
Comes from Latin 'paenultima,' meaning 'almost last'; it's the root behind the more familiar word 'penultimate.'
Words with a similar meaning
penultimate syllable
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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