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NanakiXIII Posted 19 years ago
Speech & Pronunciation

Pronunciation of 'finite'

I heard the word 'finite' pronounced today as 'fie-nite' (forgive the horrible phonetic representation, I think it will do the job, though). I checked a dictionary and sure enough, that is how it is supposed to be pronounced. This was most definitely the first time, however, that I ever heard anyone pronounce it this way, so I have either never heard the word in speech before, or I have been hearing it pronounced differently. I always though that 'finite' was pronounced nearly the same as the last two syllables of 'infinite', with emphasis on the first syllable. I always pronounced the word as 'fin-it'. Have I had it wrong all this time? Or is there more than one way to pronounce the word?
  

Top answer

Hi, I've always said and heard it as 'fie-nite'. Clive

— Clive

  • Hi, I've always said and heard it as 'fie-nite'.
  • Clive
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14 Answers
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Hi,

I've always said and heard it as 'fie-nite'.

Clive
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finite indeed has the tense i in both syllables. The tense vowel is the typical pronunciation for the last syllable of all two-syllable words ending in -ate, -ete, -ite, -ote, -ute, even when the first syllable has the primary stress, as in the examples below.

innate, vacate, vibrate, athlete, crinite, phosphite, compote, hirsute, tribute

There
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The problem with your explaination is that it makes sense of finite but then begs the question is infinite the word that defys convention. i haven't herd of a word that changes when an extra syllable is added. eg revibrate and vibrate are said the same way using the same convention.
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Anonymous i I haven't herd heard of a word that changes when an extra syllable is added.
Well, you can't say that anymore now, can you?

infinite follows the pronunciation pattern of definite, requisite, exquisite, perquisite, opposite, ap
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Besides, there's also photograph/photographer.
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yes it is like that only... fie-nite... fie like in fight and nite like in night...
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what about the pronunciation fin-eet?
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Hi,

Not natural.

Clive
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how do we pronounce this fie-nite or finite/infinite pronunciation?
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How do we pronounce this?

finite: fi-nite (both i's are long vowel sounds; the stress is on the first syllable.)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/finite (click on the loudspeaker icon)

infinite: in-fi-nit (all the i's are short vowel sounds; the stress is on
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