PEN-tig-ahn
/ˈpɛntɪˌɡɑn/
pentagon is pronounced PEN-tig-ahn (/ˈpɛntɪˌɡɑn/). Pentagon is a five-sided polygon often used to describe the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters. The word blends the Greek for five (penta) with a shape (gonia), and it is pronounced with stress on the first syllable. In expert contexts, it also refers to a governing body of five leaders or sides in a figurative sense.
Pentagon is a five-sided polygon often used to describe the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters. The word blends the Greek for five (penta) with a shape (gonia), and it is pronounced with stress on the first syllable. In expert contexts, it also refers to a governing body of five leaders or sides in a figurative sense.
- You’ll often overemphasize the middle syllable, giving Pen-TAY-gon instead of Pen-tə-gon. Fix: reduce the middle vowel to a quick schwa /tə/ and keep the final /ɡən/ or /ɡɔn/ crisp. - Some speakers insert an unnecessary extra syllable, saying pent-a-gon or pen-ta-gaon. Fix: compress to three syllables with a tight beat. - Mispronouncing final 'gon' as 'gone' or 'gown' leads to inconsistency with the initial /ɡ/; practice as /ɡən/ or /ɡɒn/.',
"The Pentagon’s defensive strategies were discussed in the briefing."
"Architects reviewed the pentagon-shaped plaza as part of the urban plan."
"During the briefing, she highlighted the Pentagon’s budget allocations."
Pronounce it as PEN-tuh-gon in US English and PEN-tuh-gən in many UK/AU varieties, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US: /ˈpɛn.tə.ɡɒn/; UK/AU: /ˈpen.tə.ɡɒn/. The middle syllable is a schwa or a reduced vowel, and the final -gon is a single syllable with a short o like 'gon.'
Common errors: overpronouncing the middle syllable as a full vowel like /oʊ/ or /oː/, or breaking it into two syllables (Pen-ta-gon) with two distinct G-phonemes. Correction: quick, reduced middle vowel /tə/ or /tə/; keep the final -gon as a single syllable /ˡɡɒn/ or /ɡən/ depending on accent. Use a light, unstressed schwa in the middle and avoid stressing the second syllable.
In US English, /ˈpɛn.tə.ɡɒn/ with a mid-back /ɒ/ vowel in the final open syllable; UK/AU may have a more rounded /ɒ/ or a closer /ɔː/ depending on speaker. UK tends toward a stronger /ɒ/ in the final syllable and a slightly crisper /t/; AU often aligns with US on the rhotics but may show subtler vowel length differences. Overall: stress on the first syllable, middle /tə/ reduced, final /ɡɒn/ or /ɡən/ depending on dialect.
The difficulty lies in the three-syllable rhythm with a weak middle /tə/ and a final consonant cluster /ɡən/ or /ɡɒn/. Coordinating the light /t/ and the soft /ɡ/ while maintaining steady energy across syllables challenges non-native speakers. Additionally, the sequence p-e-n-TA-gon requires precise tongue position for /t/ and /g/ and back-of-mouth resonance for /ɒ/. IPA cues help keep phonetic landmarks clear.
Is there a silent letter in pentagon?
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-US: rhotic 'r'-less or light /ɹ/ is not needed; keep /ɡən/; UK: slightly rounder /ɒ/ and crisper /t/; AU: tends to flattish vowels with close-mid /ɒ/; all share initial /ˈpɛn/ vs /ˈpen/ depending on speaker. -Vowel transitions: ensure /e/ in /pɛn/ is short; middle /tə/ is a reduced schwa; final /ɡən/ or /ɡɒn/ keeps a short, closed vowel. -Practice with IPA-referenced examples to lock in accurate vowels and consonants.
Pentagon comes from the Greek pent- meaning five and -gonia meaning angle or corner, via Latin pentagonum and French pentagone, entering English in the 18th century to denote five-sided figures. The canonical use in geometry is traced to the work of Renaissance and Enlightenment mathematicians who systematized polygons by side count. The modern sense of a pentagonal building — notably the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters — popularized the term in the mid-20th century as the distinctive, five-sided concrete complex became emblematic of the U.S. military and administrative power. The word maintains the root structure intact: five (penta) + angle/angle-like shape (gonia), with stress on the first syllable in general usage. First known use in English traces back to geometric treatises and architectural descriptions as early as the 17th century, though the building name itself gained prominence in the 1940s after construction was completed.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "pentagon" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "pentagon" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "pentagon"
-one sounds
-me) sounds
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