How to Pronounce Words Ending in -ine

7/4/2020

Words like "line, mine, pine," and "dine" are pronounced with /aɪn/ (sounds like "I" + n). For example, line sounds like lie+n. When we add "-ine" as a suffix on the ends of words, it can sound the same as in these words, "ine" /aɪn/ or like "in" /ɪn/ or "een" /in/.

Here are the words broken down by which pronunciation they have.

ine sounds like /aɪn/ "ine"

fine, line, dine, wine, mine, pine, sine, nine, tine, nine, spine, shine, swine, brine, twine

opine
alpine
online
byline, headline, deadline
refine
combine
decline
airline
bovine, canine, feline
iodine
alkaline
supine
Valentine
turpentine
Philistine
Argentine

ine sounds like /in/ "een"

zine
machine
marine
routine
pristine
nicotine, morphine
saltine
ravine
saline, chlorine
vaccine
quarantine
cuisine
dopamine
histamine
guillotine
magazine
trampoline
tambourine
serpentine
elephantine
clandestine (also /tɪn/)
Byzantine

ine sounds like /ɪn/ "in"

engine
famine
imagine
examine, determine
genuine
discipline
adrenaline
medicine
feminine, masculine
doctrine
jasmine
heroine
intestine
margarine
urine
clandestine (also /tin/)
peregrine

7 Comments

Gerardo

12/25/2020 12:28:19 pm

Me gusta

Elaine

4/17/2021 11:19:31 pm

Hi Christine,

Do you have an explanation as to why some words ending "ine" has 3 different sounds? What is the historical reason?

Thanks. Elaine

Speech Modification

4/18/2021 06:52:55 am

Hi Elaine,

The words with /ɪn/ (last column) are unstressed in the last syllable, so they have the reduced vowel /ɪ/, The other two pronunciations fall mainly in syllables which are stressed or have a clear vowel because of having secondary stress.
For them, the variability in pronunciation is probably due to how the various words came into English and when. If they were Germanic, or French, Latin, etc.

Natasha Peak

1/25/2023 04:58:55 pm

What about names like Corrine? Is it rin or reen. Like Catherine or Christine?

1/25/2023 05:18:07 pm

I think "Corine" is typically "een" like "Christine," and if it's spelled "Corinne" with 2 N's, it's "in" like Catherine. But the safest thing is to ask the person how they say their name, because the same name can have different pronunciations depending on the person.

1/25/2023 05:37:41 pm

Hmm I wonder why Catherine gets the in. What about the Cor part? Would you pronounce it Core or Cur like Correct?

1/26/2023 06:55:37 am

The first syllable is unstressed so it would be "cur" /kər/ as in "correct."

How to Pronounce Words Ending in -ine

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