English pronunciation · Words Starting with K
Kentucky Pronunciation
Kentucky is pronounced kuhn-TUH-kee, IPA /kənˈtəki/.
kuhn-TUH-kee
US /kənˈtəki/
Syllables: kuhn · TUH · kee (3 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
noun (proper): A state in the east central United States, with Frankfort as its capital.
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Kentucky in a Sentence
- Kentucky holds its famous horse race on the first Saturday in May.
- Most American bourbon is still distilled in Kentucky.
- She drove from Kentucky to Tennessee in an afternoon.
Common Mispronunciations of Kentucky
Not KEN-tuh-kee
The middle beat, TUH, is the loud one, and the opening shrinks to a quick kuhn.
Not kuhn-TOO-kee
That stressed vowel is the uh of luck, so the middle of the state rhymes with duck.
Tip: Kentuckian keeps the force in the same place and adds a beat: kuhn-TUH-kee-uhn.
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