unpronounced
|un-pro-nounced|
/ˌʌnprəˈnaʊnst/
not pronounced; not noticeable
Etymology
'unpronounced' originates from English, formed by the negative prefix 'un-' and the past participle 'pronounced'; 'un-' meant 'not' and 'pronounced' derives from 'pronounce' (from Latin 'pronuntiare' via Old French).
'pronounce' changed from Latin 'pronuntiare' into Old French (e.g. 'prononcier'/'prononcer') and then into Middle English forms such as 'pronuncen', eventually becoming modern English 'pronounce'. The prefix 'un-' is a Germanic/Old English negative prefix; combined with the past participle it produced 'unpronounced'.
Initially linked to the Latin sense 'to proclaim or announce', 'pronounce' shifted toward 'articulate (a sound)' and 'pronounced' gained the additional meaning 'marked or noticeable'; 'unpronounced' therefore came to mean both 'not articulated (sound)' and 'not strongly expressed (not noticeable)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not pronounced (spoken); not articulated or sounded, especially of a sound, phoneme, syllable, or final consonant.
In many dialects of English the final /r/ in 'car' is unpronounced.
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Adjective 2
not strongly expressed, noticeable, or emphasized; lacking prominence or intensity (opposite of 'pronounced' meaning marked or clear).
Her disappointment was unpronounced, but you could sense it.
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Last updated: 2025/12/06 14:40