how to pronounce punitive

/ˈpjunətɪv/

audio example by a male speaker

audio example by a female speaker

the above transcription of punitive is a detailed (narrow) transcription according to the rules of the International Phonetic Association; you can find a description of each symbol by clicking the phoneme buttons in the secction below.

punitive is pronounced in three syllables

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1.

2.

3. example pitch curve for pronunciation of punitive

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video examples of punitive pronunciation

An example use of punitive in a speech by a native speaker of american english:

“… ratcheted down and made so punitive the …”

meaning of punitive

Punitive means intended to punish or inflict pain or suffering.

punitive frequency in english - C2+ level of CEFR

the word punitive occurs in english on average 1.4 times per one million words; this frequency warrants it to be in the study list for C2+ level of language mastery according to CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference.