English pronunciation · Words Starting with J
Juvenile Pronunciation
Juvenile is pronounced JOO-vuh-nyl, IPA /ˈdʒuvəˌnaɪl/.
JOO-vuh-nyl
US /ˈdʒuvəˌnaɪl/ · UK /ˈdʒuːvəˌnaɪl/
Syllables: JOO · vuh · nyl (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective and noun: Young, not yet adult, or in legal use a person below the age of criminal majority.
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Juvenile in a Sentence
- The case was heard in a juvenile court.
- Juvenile herring gulls have mottled brown feathers for their first two years.
- Shouting over people is a juvenile way to win an argument.
Common Mispronunciations of Juvenile
Not joo-vuh-NYL
The load sits on the first part, JOO. A loud ending turns it into something that sounds like a verb.
Not YOO-vuh-nyl
English j is the sound at the start of jam, even in a word this Latin-looking. Only borrowings kept as foreign, such as Juan, use a y sound.
Tip: The last part is the word nile, though plenty of American speakers weaken it to nuhl in fast speech.
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