English pronunciation · Words Starting with P
Prodigal Pronunciation
Prodigal is pronounced PRAH-di-guhl, IPA /ˈprɑdɪgəl/.
PRAH-di-guhl
US /ˈprɑdɪgəl/ · UK /ˈprɒdɪgəl/
Syllables: PRAH · di · guhl (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective and noun: Spending money or resources recklessly, or a person who does so and later returns home.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
Prodigal in a Sentence
- The parable of the prodigal son ends in a feast.
- He was prodigal with other people's money.
- After ten years the prodigal came back.
Common Mispronunciations of Prodigal
Not pruh-DI-guhl
Open loud on PRAH and keep the rest faint. Prodigious does stress its middle, and that is where the slip comes from.
Not PRAH-di-juhl
The g stays hard here, as in dig. Prodigy softens it to a j, but prodigal does not.
Tip: Prodigal means wasteful, not wandering. The son in the parable is prodigal because he spent everything, not because he left.
More words starting with p · Every word in the pronunciation guide