how to pronounce yen

/ˈjɛn/

audio example by a male speaker

audio example by a female speaker

the above transcription of yen 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.

yen is pronounced in one syllable

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1. example pitch curve for pronunciation of yen

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video examples of yen pronunciation

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

“… Catherine yen Mel Shimer …”

meanings of yen

noun:

A strong desire, urge, or yearning.
The unit of Japanese currency (symbol: ¥) since 1871, divided into 100 sen.
A coin or note worth one yen.
Opium.

verb:

To have a strong desire for.

name:

Alternative form of Yan.

yen frequency in english - C2 level of CEFR

the word yen occurs in english on average 2.3 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.