3 syllables: clem, en, cy. Stress on clem.
KLEM-uhn-see
/ˈklɛmənsi/
clemency is pronounced KLEM-uhn-see (/ˈklɛmənsi/). It has three syllables (clem-en-cy), with the stress on "clem". Clemency is a merciful or lenient disposition or act, especially in the context of judicial forgiveness or reduced punishment. It implies a compassionate refusal to be harsh, often granting mercy after weighing circumstances. In legal and moral discussions, clemency denotes benevolence that mitigates severity while preserving authority.
Clemency is a merciful or lenient disposition or act, especially in the context of judicial forgiveness or reduced punishment. It implies a compassionate refusal to be harsh, often granting mercy after weighing circumstances. In legal and moral discussions, clemency denotes benevolence that mitigates severity while preserving authority.
"The governor granted clemency to the prisoner after reviewing new evidence."
"Her clemency toward the overwhelmed defendant surprised many who expected strict punishment."
"Graduating seniors petitioned for clemency in honor of a late faculty member."
Pronounce as /ˈklɛmənsi/. The stress falls on the first syllable: CLE-men-cy. Start with a short, crisp K-l sound, then the /l/ and /ɛ/ as in ‘bed’, followed by a light schwa /ə/ in the second syllable, and end with /nsi/ where the /s/ is clear and the /i/ is a light, near-close vowel. The final syllable is /-nsi/ with a soft ‘si’ like ‘see’ but shorter. Audio references: consider hearing it on Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries’ playback to match educated pronunciation.
Common errors include slurring the middle /mən/ into a single schwa-heavy syllable and misplacing the vowel in the first syllable, saying /klɛˈmɛnsi/ or /klɛmənˈsi/. Another mistake is pronouncing the final /si/ as /siː/ (long E) or dropping the /n/ making it /ˈklɛməsi/. Corrective tips: keep the first syllable crisp with /kl/ cluster before /ɛ/; ensure a short /ə/ in the second syllable; keep /n/ clear before /si/ without letting it blend too tightly into /si/.
US, UK, and AU all use /ˈklɛmənsi/, with minor timing differences. In rhotic US, the /r/ is not present here, but the vowel qualities can be slightly more taut in careful speech. UK/AU speakers share non-rhotic tendencies; vowel lengths and the clipped /ə/ in the second syllable may be shorter. The main difference is the quality of the /æ/ vs /e/ in some speakers; most standard pronunciations keep /ˈklɛm/ with a clear short e, not a long e. Overall, accent variation is minor for this word; focus on the initial stressed syllable and the crisp /n/ before /si/.
The difficulty lies in the unstressed middle syllable /ən/ which often reduces to a quick schwa /ə/ that can blur with adjacent consonants, and in maintaining a crisp /n/ before the final /si/. The initial cluster /kl/ can be tricky for speakers who merge /l/ with a following tricky /k/ release. Also, the final /si/ requires a precise yod-like /j/ transition in some variants, avoiding a heavy /iː/ or /ɪ/ that shifts the word’s rhythm.
A practical nuance is ensuring the /m/ in the middle does not palatalize into an /n/ with the following /s/; keep /m/ as a bilabial nasal before the alveolar /s/. You’ll hear a subtle link between /m/ and /ə/ in fluent speech, but the final /si/ should maintain a voiceless alveolar sibilant before the high front vowel /i/. This helps preserve the word’s characteristic rhythm: /ˈklɛmənsi/.
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Clemency comes from Middle English clemense, from Old French clemence, from Latin clementia, from clemens, meaning gentle or merciful. The Latin root clement- combines with -ia to form a noun of quality. The term entered English in the medieval and early modern periods, aligned with legal and theological discussions about mercy by rulers and judges. Its sense broadened beyond strictly judicial mercy to describe general compassion or mildness in behavior. Over time, clemency often appeared in political and religious rhetoric to evoke a balance between authority and mercy, especially in pardons, reprieves, and reductions of sentences. The concept rests on contrasts with severity, invoking the humane application of power. First known uses in English manuscripts trace to the 14th–15th centuries, commonly in legal and scholastic contexts. In modern usage, clemency can refer to any act of leniency, whether from a government official, a school administrator, or in personal discourse about second chances and forgiveness. Its semantic trajectory mirrors evolving norms about justice, mercy, and restorative approaches to punishment across Western legal traditions.
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Words that rhyme with "clemency"
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