penult

American  

[pee-nuhlt, pi-nuhlt] / ˈpi nʌlt, pɪˈnʌlt /

Also penultima

noun

1. the next to the last syllable in a word.

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penult British  

/ pɪˈnʌlt, pɪˈnʌltɪmə, ˈpɛnʌlt /

noun

1. the last syllable but one in a word

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Etymology

Origin of penult

1530–40; < Latin paenultima ( syllaba ), contraction of paene ultima almost the last; see pen-, ultima

Example Sentences

Occasionally, an Indian name came to his lips, hesitant syllables cascaded to a tenebrous penult: Rabindranath Tagore.

From Time Magazine Archive

Words ending in ic usually accent the penult, scientif′ic, histor′ic, etc.

From The Art Of Writing & Speaking The English Language Word-Study and Composition & Rhetoric by Cody, Sherwin

Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to circumflex on the penult; &?; before + &?; to circumflex.

From The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Section P and Q by Project Gutenberg

Thus, for example, the penult of the word carpēnter was regarded as long by Drant because followed by two consonants.

From A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance With special reference to the influence of Italy in the formation and development of modern classicism by Spingarn, Joel Elias

The accent of this word is on the antepenult; by poetic license, in four of the passages above quoted, it is placed on the penult.

From A Collection of College Words and Customs by Hall, Benjamin Homer