2 syllables: Pe, nis. Stress on Pe.
PEE-nis
/ˈpinɪs/
Penis is pronounced PEE-nis (/ˈpinɪs/). It has two syllables (Pe-nis), with the stress on "Pe". Penis is the external male genital organ, functionally central to urination and sexual activity. It is a noun used in medical, anatomical, and colloquial contexts; in clinical language it may also be referred to as the penis, glans, or shaft. The term is common in adult education, biology, and health discussions, and pronunciation is typically straightforward in English, though careful articulation helps in mixed-audience settings.
nounPenis is the external male genital organ, functionally central to urination and sexual activity. It is a noun used in medical, anatomical, and colloquial contexts; in clinical language it may also be referred to as the penis, glans, or shaft. The term is common in adult education, biology, and health discussions, and pronunciation is typically straightforward in English, though careful articulation helps in mixed-audience settings.
- You may unconsciously soften the /p/ or release it too softly, which can blur the initial consonant. Ensure a crisp, aspirated /p/ release before the /ɛ/ vowel. - Do not merge /ɛ/ and /ɪ/ into a single vowel; keep the first vowel distinct and short. A common error is saying /ˈpɛnəs/ with a long /ɛ/ or a reduced vowel in the second syllable. - Final /s/ can become a voiced /z/ in fast speech; practice keeping voiceless /s/ by placing tongue behind the teeth and keeping air flowing. - Another error is misplacing the primary stress on the second syllable; keep the stress on the first syllable for natural English delivery. - In non-native contexts, the word can be misheard as “pen-iss” with a crisp second syllable; aim for a quick but precise /ɪs/ at end.
How to Pronounce Penis
"The doctor explained the anatomy, including the penis, to the patient."
"In the biology class, we studied how the penis functions in reproduction."
"Some medical terms describe parts of the penis, such as the glans or shaft."
Pronounce it as PE-nis with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈpɛnɪs/. Start with a clear /p/ release, then a short /ɛ/ as in bed, followed by a shallow /n/ and a lax /ɪ/ before /s/. Keep the vowels distinct and the final /s/ softly hissed. You can listen to native models on pronunciation tools and imitate the mouth posture.
Two frequent errors are misplacing the stress (reducing it to pe-NIS) and blending the vowels into a longer ‘ee’ or ‘uh’ sound like /ˈpeənɪs/ or /ˈpənɪz/. Another error is delaying the /s/ and sounding like /ˈpɛnɪz/ with an extra consonant sound. To correct: keep primary stress on the first syllable, keep /ɛ/ crisp, and end on a clear /s/ without voicing the final consonant.
In US, UK, and AU, the word retains /ˈpɛnɪs/, with minor vowel quality differences. US vowels tend to be slightly tenser and more back in some speakers, UK vowels may be a touch more centralized, and AU tends to be closer to General Australian English vowel space with a crisp /e/ and a non-rhotic or mildly rhotic approach depending on speaker. The final /s/ remains unvoiced; rhoticity does not affect the word’s core segments.
The difficulty often lies in two phonetic challenges: maintaining a clean, unvoiced final /s/ after a short /ɪ/ vowel, and producing the short mid-front vowel /ɛ/ quickly in a stressed syllable. Speak slowly at first to establish the sequence p-ɛ-n-ɪ-s, then speed up while keeping the vowels distinct and the final /s/ crisp.
Does the word ever reduce the second syllable under fast speech? In careful speech, the second syllable remains /ɪs/ with a clear /ɪ/ and /s/. In rapid colloquial speech, some speakers may exchange vowel quality slightly toward a schwa-like /ə/ in very informal contexts, but standard pronunciation keeps /ɪ/ in the second syllable.
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- US: emphasize a slightly brighter /ɛ/ with a marginally tenser vowel, keep rhoticity aside; practice with minimal pairs like bet/bat/pen to hear subtle vowel shifts. IPA: /ˈpɛnɪs/. - UK: vowels are often a touch more centralized; ensure non-rhotic voice, with a crisp /s/ at the end. IPA: /ˈpɛnɪs/. - AU: may have a wider vowel space, with a tighter end consonant; work on a clean, unvoiced final /s/ and avoid extraneous vowel length. IPA: /ˈpɛnɪs/.
Penis originates from Latin penis, meaning ‘tail’ or ‘penis’ in Latin. The term appears in Latin medical and anatomical texts of antiquity, and was borrowed into early modern English medical writing with its current meaning by the 16th–17th centuries. The Latin root likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European *pes-/*pen- family, linked to cutting or extending, though the exact ancient semantics focus on the organ’s external form. Over time, the word maintained a formal, clinical tone in scholarly writing, while becoming widely used in everyday English to denote the external male genitalia. In many languages, cognates reflect similar anatomical sense, with modern usage balancing clinical precision and casual conversation. The word’s first known use in English in non-medical contexts traces to mid-19th century popular science and educational materials, aligning with a broader push to standardize anatomical vocabulary. By the 20th century, penis appeared in sex education, medical dictionaries, and mainstream discourse, solidifying its place as the standard term in many registers, while colloquial alternatives and euphemisms persist in social speech.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Penis" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Penis" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Penis"
-nis sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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