4 syllables: Sep, tu, a, gint. Stress on tu.
sep-TOO-uh-gint
/sepˈtuːəɡɪnt/
Septuagint is pronounced sep-TOO-uh-gint (/sepˈtuːəɡɪnt/). It has four syllables (Sep-tu-a-gint), with the stress on "tu". Septuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, traditionally dated to the 3rd century BCE and produced for Greek-speaking Jews in Egypt. The term also refers to that translation as a corpus. In scholarly contexts it denotes the entire Greek version used in early Christian and Jewish communities, distinguished from the Hebrew Masoretic Text.
nounSeptuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, traditionally dated to the 3rd century BCE and produced for Greek-speaking Jews in Egypt. The term also refers to that translation as a corpus. In scholarly contexts it denotes the entire Greek version used in early Christian and Jewish communities, distinguished from the Hebrew Masoretic Text.
How to Pronounce Septuagint
"In seminary courses, we compare the Septuagint to the Masoretic Text to study translation history."
"Biblical scholars often cite the Septuagint when discussing Old Testament quotes found in the New Testament."
"The Septuagint was widely used in the early Church and influenced early Christian theology and liturgy."
Pronounce as sə-ˈtuː-ə- dʒɪnt in most US/UK/AU speech when using IPA: US: /sɛpˈtuː.ədʒɪnt/; UK: /sɪˈtjʊː.ə.dʒɪnt/; AU: /sɪˈtjuː.ə.dʒɪnt/. The main stress lands on the second syllable: se-TU-a-gint. Start with an initial s, then e as a short vowel, followed by a stressed TU as /tuː/, then a schwa /ə/, then a dʒ sound as in judge, and finish with ɪnt. Audio references available in major dictionaries and pronouncing tools.”,
Common errors include misplacing stress on the first or last syllable, producing a hard g instead of the soft dʒ, and flattening the /tuː/ into a quick ’too’ with weak vowel clarity. Correct by practicing the two-beat STRESS: se-TU-a-gint, with the /tuː/ clearly elongated and the dʒ sound clearly released before the final ɪnt. Use minimal pairs and slow practice with IPA cues to build accuracy.”,
In US and AU, the initial vowel tends to be slightly r-colored or centralized in fast speech, but the main feature is the stressed syllable /ˈtuː/ and the affricate /dʒ/. In UK English, the /t/ in the second syllable remains a clear stop, and the /tuː/ may be a bit shorter, with a crisper final /ɪnt/. Across all, the /s/ is clear and the /j/ is part of the /dʒ/ blend. Practice with a mirror to observe mouth shapes.”,
The difficulty comes from the long, unstressed sequence se-TU-a-, followed by a voiced palato-alveolar affricate /dʒ/ and a final syllable -gint that blends into /ɪnt/. Non-native speakers often reduce the /tuː/ length and merge the /dʒ/ with a /t/ or /z/. Focus on keeping the /tuː/ long, place the /dʒ/ softly but distinctly, and end with a crisp /ɪnt/. IPA cues help you tune the exact tongue position: tongue blade behind the teeth, lips rounded for /dʒ/.
Septuagint has no silent letters. Each letter contributes to the pronunciation: s e p t u a g i n t. The sequence emphasizes the moraic rhythm: /sɛpˈtuː.ədʒɪnt/. The letters correspond to standard Greek phonology in the transliterated form, with no silences that alter the spoken word. The subtlety lies in the /tuː/ length and the /dʒ/ affricate, not in silent letters.
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Septuagint derives from Latin septuaginta meaning seventy. In Greek, the term is heptaginta? No, the Greek designation is “ta hekatontaprov” (τὰ ἑκατονταπυρα). The traditional story holds that seventy-two Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Torah and other books in the 3rd century BCE under Ptolemy II Philadelphus in Alexandria. The Latinized form Septuagint is from the Latin septuaginta, ‘seventy,’ aligning with the legend of the seventy elders who produced the Greek version. In ancient manuscripts the work is often denoted LXX, referring to the number 70 in Roman numerals. Over time, the Septuagint came to stand as a canonical text for Greek-speaking Christians and a key witness for biblical textual criticism, influencing liturgy, theology, and scholarship. First known uses appear in later Hellenistic Jewish and early Christian writings, with references in writings like 4 Maccabees and the Epistle of Paul to the Romans in scholarship recognizing its early and widespread use in the Mediterranean world.
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Words that rhyme with "Septuagint"
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