English pronunciation · Words Starting with E

Espionage Pronunciation

Espionage is pronounced E-spee-uh-nahj, IPA /ˈɛspiənɑdʒ/.

E-spee-uh-nahj

US /ˈɛspiənɑdʒ/  ·  UK /ˈɛspɪəˌnɑːʒ/

Syllables: E · spee · uh · nahj (4 syllables, stress on syllable 1)

noun: The practice of spying to obtain political, military, or commercial secrets.

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Espionage in a Sentence

  • Two employees were charged with industrial espionage.
  • The novel is mostly about espionage between rival banks.
  • Espionage cases rarely reach open court.

Common Mispronunciations of Espionage

Not e-spee-uh-NAHZH

In English the weight stays at the front, on E, even though the ending keeps its French flavour.

Not e-spy-uh-nahj

The middle i is the ee of see, not the eye of spy. The spelling looks like the word spy but the vowel does not follow it.

Tip: The ending can be a soft zh, as in beige, or a firmer j, as in judge; both are heard from careful speakers.

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