Petronas is a proper noun referring to a Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company. It is commonly used in business, energy sectors, and Southeast Asian contexts. The word is pronounced as a two-syllable name with emphasis on the first syllable, and is typically treated as a brand name in English discourse.
"Petronas announced a new sustainability initiative last quarter."
"The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur are iconic landmarks."
"Analysts followed Petronas’s quarterly earnings closely."
"Petronas Petroleum Marketing Berhad operates in several international markets."
Petronas stands for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, the national petroleum corporation of Malaysia. The acronym Petronas originated from Malay terms: ‘Petroliam’ (petroleum) and ‘Nasional’ (national), combined with ‘Berhad’ (Limited). The company was established in 1974 after Malaysia nationalized its oil and gas assets, consolidating production, refining, and distribution under a single state-owned entity. The name evolved from a formal corporate title to a widely recognized brand globally associated with Malaysia’s energy sector. First used in official communications and legal documents around the mid-1970s, Petronas quickly became a symbol of national capability in energy, engineering, and international investments, expanding into sponsorships, such as Formula One, and international energy projects. The term has since carried both corporate identity and national branding, often synonymous with Malaysian energy diplomacy and state enterprise governance.
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Words that rhyme with "Petronas"
-nas sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as pe-TRON-as with three syllables; primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US: pɪˈtroʊ.næs, UK: pɪˈtrɒ.næs, AU: pɪˈtrɒ.næs. The first vowel in the first syllable often reduces to a short i, and the second syllable contains a stressed rhotic vowel in non-rhotic variants. Mouth positions: start with a light p, then /ɪ/ or /ɪ/; glide into /ˈtroʊ/ or /ˈtrɒ/; end with /næs/ with a lax final /s/. Audio references: you can listen to brand name pronunciations on official Petronas channels or Forvo by searching “Petronas.”
Common errors: treating it as pe-TRON-as with first-stress; pronouncing the second vowel as a long /oʊ/ in all accents; dropping the /r/ in non-rhotic speakers; misplacing the final /s/ as /z/. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable as /pɪˈtroʊ.næs/ (US) or /pɪˈtrɒ.næs/ (UK/AU), keep a clear /r/ or final /r/ only if your dialect preserves rhoticity, and finish with a voiceless /s/.”
US: /pɪˈtroʊ.næs/ with rhotic r and diphthong in the second syllable; UK/AU: /pɪˈtrɒ.næs/ with non-rhotic r (linking r optional) and shorter /ɒ/ vowel; both have final /s/. Note that some speakers of UK English may devoiced final consonants in rapid speech. Across accents, the second syllable vowel quality shifts (US /oʊ/ vs UK/AU /ɒ/), and rhoticity influences how /r/ is heard when followed by a vowel. Maintain brand integrity by using the neutral, brand-consistent pronunciation regardless of dialect.
Because of the sequence /troʊ/ vs /trɒ/ and the three-syllable structure with primary stress on the second syllable, learners often misplace stress or mispronounce the second vowel. The contrast between rhotic American /r/ and non-rhotic UK/AU varieties affects perceived pronunciation. The final /æs/ cluster requires a crisp voiceless /s/. Practice slowly with the middle syllable anchoring the rhythm to ensure the stress and vowel quality remain consistent.
The central challenge is achieving the clear /troʊ/ or /trɒ/ in the second syllable while keeping a fast, natural flow between syllables. Do not reduce the second syllable too much; preserve its short vowel quality and the final /s/ as a separate phoneme. Also ensure the initial /p/ is released with a light puff, not held. IPA references: US /pɪˈtroʊ.næs/, UK/AU /pɪˈtrɒ.næs/.
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