sayn-tek-SOO-puh-ree
/seɪnt ɛkˈsuːpəri/
Saint Exupery is pronounced sayn-tek-SOO-puh-ree (/seɪnt ɛkˈsuːpəri/). As a noun, saint-Exupéry is the celebrated French author known for The Little Prince. The name typically appears as Saint-Exupéry in French, with the given name rendered as “Saint” and the surname pronounced somewhat differently from English norms. It denotes a person (a proper name) and is used in literary, biographical, and bibliographic contexts, often with diacritical marks preserved in formal writing.
nounSaint-Exupéry is the celebrated French author known for The Little Prince. The name typically appears as Saint-Exupéry in French, with the given name rendered as “Saint” and the surname pronounced somewhat differently from English norms. It denotes a person (a proper name) and is used in literary, biographical, and bibliographic contexts, often with diacritical marks preserved in formal writing.
"You’ll find a statue of Saint-Exupéry in the town square."
"The English edition of Saint-Exupéry’s works has introduced anglicized spellings in some regions."
"Scholars often discuss Saint-Exupéry’s philosophy of flight and humanity in seminars."
In US/UK/AU accents, pronounce Saint as /seɪnt/ with a clear /s/ and consonant cluster, then Exupery as /ɛɡˈzuːpəri/ in English-adapted form or, closer to French, /ɛɡ.zyp.ʁe/ depending on anglicization. Stress falls on the second word: Exupery. So: Saint Exupéry is /seɪnt ɛɡˈzuːpəri/ in many English contexts, but the Last name in French phonology is closer to /ɛɡ.zyp.ʁe/. If keeping the original diacritic, aim for /seɪnt ɛɡˈzy.pə.ʁi/ depending on speaker.”,
Common errors include pronouncing Exupery as in English phonetics without French influence, giving /ɛɡˈzuːpəri/ rather than the French /ɛɡ.zyp.ʁe/; softening the final syllable to /ri/ instead of French /ʁe/; and misplacing stress, saying Exupery with even primary stress rather than stressing the second syllable. To correct: adopt a clipped Saint /seɪnt/ and practice Exupéry with two syllables after the initial /ɛɡ/ and a final /ʁe/; use /ɛɡ.zyp.ʁe/ with French uvular /ʁ/ if aiming for authenticity.
US tends to anglicize as /seɪnt ɛɡˈzuːpəri/ or /seɪnt eksjuˈpeəri/; UK similar but with tighter vowel quality and non-rhoticity can influence the final /r/; Australian often mirrors US with slightly flatter vowels and faster cadence, still avoiding the rolling French /ʁ/. The French-influenced pronunciation favors /ɛɡ.zyp.ʁe/ with a uvular /ʁ/ and a final /e/. When in doubt, preserve the stress on Exupery and angle vowels toward your target audience.
The difficulty lies in the surname’s French phonology: the cluster /ɡ.zyp/ is not common in English, and the final /ʁe/ includes a French uvular /ʁ/ and the e-acute that signals a closed, fronted vowel. English speakers also tend to shift the second syllable stress or misplace the syllable boundaries, turning Exupéry into an English-like ex-oo-per-ee. Practicing with the authentic French cadence—/ɛɡ.zyp.ʁe/—helps maintain accuracy.
Saint-Exupéry’s surname is typically pronounced as three syllables in French: /ɛɡ.zyp.ʁe/, with a clearly separated /ɡ/ and /z/ and the final /ʁe/ pronounced in a single French syllable. In English contexts, many speakers merge to /ɛɡˈzuːpəri/, creating a two-to-three syllable pattern. The key is to hold the /z/ and /p/ together, avoid turning /ʁe/ into /ri/, and keep the final vowel short and pure.
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Saint-Exupéry is a French toponymic surname combined with the honorific Saint. The surname derives from the Occitan or French habit of forming compound names from saints. Exupéry itself likely originates from a medieval toponymic root associated with geographic or religious sites honoring Saint Exupère or Saint-Exupère, with the diminutive suffix -éry indicating a place associated with a person or a family. The accent grave on é in Exupéry affects the vowel quality, and the final -éry signals an -ee-ry pronunciation in French. The name was adopted into literary culture largely through the aviator-author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944), whose fame escalated in the mid‑20th century. The first published use of the combined surname with Saint as a literary attribution appears in early 20th-century French biographers and literary catalogs, and gained international recognition with translations of The Little Prince in 1943. Over time, English-language references often preserve the diacritic and French pronunciation conventions to honor accuracy and identity. In modern usage, the name embodies French literary prestige, aviation history, and philosophical storytelling, while retaining its distinctive phonetic structure across languages.
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Words that rhyme with "Saint Exupery"
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