2 syllables: draw, ee. Stress on draw.
DRAW-wee
/ˈdɹɔːwiː/
drawee is pronounced DRAW-wee (/ˈdɹɔːwiː/). It has two syllables (draw-ee), with the stress on "draw". Drawee is a legal/financial term meaning the person or entity to whom a bill of exchange or check is addressed for payment. In everyday usage it appears in banking and instruments like drafts. The word functions as a noun and is pronounced with two syllables, stressing the first, and the vowels are distinct from a typical 'draw' plus 'ee' ending.
Drawee is a legal/financial term meaning the person or entity to whom a bill of exchange or check is addressed for payment. In everyday usage it appears in banking and instruments like drafts. The word functions as a noun and is pronounced with two syllables, stressing the first, and the vowels are distinct from a typical 'draw' plus 'ee' ending.
"The drawee bank must honor the check as drawn by the payer."
"In the draft, the drawer ordered the drawee to pay the stated amount."
"If the drawee refuses, the payee may pursue collection or protest."
Pronounce as two syllables: DRAW-ee. In IPA: US/UK/AU typically /ˈdrɔː.i/ with the first syllable stressed. Start with an open-mid back rounded vowel like ‘draw’ but longer and more rounded; then a clear /i/ as in ‘see.’ Make sure the vowel in the first syllable is long and the second is a short, high front vowel. You’ll want a light glide into the -ee ending.
Common errors include shortening the first syllable to a quick /drɔ/ without the long vowel, and turning the second syllable into a dull /i/ or merging the sounds into /ˈdrɔːɪ/ without a distinct -ee. Another pitfall is stressing the wrong syllable, or replacing /ɔː/ with /ɒ/ in some US varieties. Correction: maintain a clear two-syllable pattern DRAW-ee, with a prolonged /ɔː/ and a crisp /i/ at the end, and place stress on the first syllable.
US and UK both favor /ˈdrɔː.i/ with primary stress on DRAW. US may have slightly flatter /ɔ/ and a more centralized /ɚ/ rarely if at all, while UK often preserves a broader /ɔː/ vowel, rhoticity less pronounced in some regions; AU tends toward /ˈdɹɔː.i/ with similar /ɔː/ quality but may exhibit a tighter vowel duration and a crisper /i/. Overall, the core is DRAW-ee, but vowel quality and rhoticity can tint the first vowel slightly.
The challenge lies in the long, rounded /ɔː/ vowel in the first syllable and the abrupt move to a high front /i/ in the second syllable. The -ee ending can invite slippery pronunciation, especially in fast speech. You’ll also encounter regional shifts from /ɔː/ to /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ depending on accent. Focus on a clear separation between DRAW and ee, maintaining crisp lip rounding for /ɔː/ and a light, high tongue position for /i/.
A distinctive feature is the two-syllable division with a strong initial /dr/ cluster followed by a tense /ɔː/ vowel and a silent-like or brief /i/ that lands as a sharp /i/. Some speakers unintentionally reduce to /ˈdrɔ/ or link the syllables too closely. Emphasize the /ɔː/ quality and keep the -ee clearly separated—DRAW-ee, not DRAW-ee-uh—so search engines recognize the precise pronunciation and help users refine their query-based listening.
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Drawee derives from the legal term draw down or draw, via the phrase draw on a bank draft, wherein the drawee is the person or institution obligated to pay. The word’s usage appears in English banking and commercial law from at least the 17th–18th centuries, aligning with early negotiable instruments. It originated within contexts involving drafts and bills of exchange, where the drawer creates an instrument directing payment, the drawee being the party that must comply. Over time, drawee became a fixed label for the payment recipient, particularly in banking literature and legal documents. The semantic arc tracks from a verb rooted in “draw” meaning to pull or require payment, to the formal noun designating the payer’s institution or person who accepts the draft and pays. First known uses appear in mercantile law texts and bank ledgers of early modern Europe, especially in regions with robust drafting practices like England and the Netherlands, and later became standard in modern banking vocabulary. The term’s pronunciation and spelling stabilized as banking English evolved around the concept of negotiable instruments, with “drawee” consistently treated as a two-syllable word: DRAW-ee."
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "drawee" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "drawee"
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